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Gerry Armstrong (activist)
Gerald "Gerry" Armstrong is a critic of the Church of Scientology and a former member. As an archivist and assistant to L. Ron Hubbard's biographer, he discovered the truth about Hubbard's life history which impugned the Church's fantastic and idealized version. When Church management refused to correct the record, Armstrong left Scientology with copies of some of the documents. For decades he was harassed by the Church and pursued through the court systems, bankrupting him, in an attempt to keep the materials and facts undisclosed. But with each successive court case, more documents were inevitably disclosed as evidence and became part of the court's records and accessible to the public. Early Scientology career Armstrong grew up in Chilliwack, B.C., Canada and first got involved in Scientology in 1969. In 1971, he joined the Sea Org and was sent to work on their ship, the Apollo where he rose through the ranks to become legal and then public-relations officer. He married ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Church Of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination of Scientology, which is variously defined as a cult, a business, or a new religious movement. The movement has been the subject of a number of controversies, and the Church of Scientology has been described by government inquiries, international parliamentary bodies, scholars and numerous superior court judgements as both a dangerous cult and a manipulative profit-making business. In 1979, several executives of the organization were convicted and imprisoned for multiple offenses by a U.S. Federal Court. The Church of Scientology itself was convicted of fraud by a French court in 2009, a decision upheld by the supreme Court of Cassation in 2013. The German government classifies Scientology as an unconstitutional sect. In France, it has been classified as a dangerous cult. In some countries, it has attained legal rec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dead Agent
Since its inception in 1954, the Church of Scientology has been involved in a number of controversies, including its stance on psychiatry, Scientology's legitimacy as a religion, the Church's aggressive attitude in dealing with its perceived enemies and critics, allegations of mistreatment of members, and predatory financial practices; for example, the high cost of religious training:191 and perceived exploitative practices. When mainstream media outlets have reported alleged abuses, representatives of the church have tended to deny such allegations. Secrecy The church maintains strict control over the use of its symbols, names and religious texts. Although U.S. intellectual property law allows for "fair use" of material for commentary, parody, educational purposes, etc., critics of the church such as Gerry Armstrong (activist), Gerry Armstrong have argued the church unfairly and illegally uses the legal system to suppress "fair" uses, including suppressing any mention of the Sp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maisonneuve (magazine)
''Maisonneuve'' is an English-language general interest magazine based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It publishes eclectic stories of national and international scope on the arts, culture, and politics. History and profile Established in 2002 by Derek Webster, the magazine is named after Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve, the founder of Montreal. It defines its mandate as "to dissolve artistic borders between regions, countries, languages, and genres". Drew Nelles served as the editor-in-chief of the magazine. Nour Abi-Nakhoul is the current editor-in-chief. ''Maisonneuve'' has won many awards for its writing, covers, illustration, and photojournalism. It was named Magazine of the Year in 2005, 2012, and 2016 (National Magazine Award The National Magazine Awards, also known as the Ellie Awards, honor print and digital publications that consistently demonstrate superior execution of editorial objectives, innovative techniques, noteworthy enterprise and imaginative design. Or ... ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lyle Stuart
Lyle Stuart (born Lionel Simon; August 11, 1922June 24, 2006) was an American author and independent publisher of controversial books. He worked as a newsman for years before launching his publishing firm, Lyle Stuart, Incorporated. A former part-owner of the original Aladdin Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Stuart was also a noted gambling authority, who advised casinos on how to protect themselves from cheats and cons. He had a wide circle of friends, freely admitting to a lively sex life. He was fond of gambling, with baccarat and craps being his games of choice. His gambling bestsellers were ''Casino Gambling for the Winner,'' ''Winning at Casino Gambling,'' and ''Lyle Stuart on Baccarat.'' He boasted, in ''Casino Gambling for the Winner,'' of having won $166,505 in ten consecutive visits to Las Vegas. Career The Walter Winchell feud Stuart had first gained national notoriety by taking on the powerful newspaper columnist Walter Winchell in a series of scathing magazine arti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Armstrong Cases
''Armstrong'' I–VIIIAll eventually consolidated into two cases: '' Church of Scientology of California v. Gerald Armstrong'' and ''Church of Scientology Int'l v. Superior Court of the County of Marin''. were a lengthy series of lawsuits and other legal actions, primarily in the California state courts, arising from Gerald Armstrong's departure from the Church of Scientology (COS). The COS argued that Armstrong, a former COS employee, improperly took private papers belonging to the Church, while Armstrong argued that he took the papers to protect himself from improper disciplinary proceedings and that the Church did, in fact, discipline him improperly. Chronology of dispute and litigation 1969–1981: Armstrong's discovery of COS documents and departure from the Church of Scientology According to the August 10, 1984, judgment in the Armstrong litigation, the circumstances of Armstrong's departure from the Church are as follows. (The COS disputes this account and argues ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Way To Happiness
''The Way to Happiness'' is a 1980 booklet written by science-fiction author and Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard listing 21 moral precepts. The booklet is distributed by The Way to Happiness Foundation International, a Scientology-related nonprofit organization founded in 1984. ''The Way to Happiness'' is used as part of Scientology's Criminon rehabilitation program and is promoted by Scientology celebrities. The unsolicited distribution of personalised copies of the booklet to schools and mayors' offices has caused controversy, and while it is promoted as secular in nature, critics have stated that it includes ideas that are specific to Scientology, and is used as a recruiting tool. The booklet has been translated into 70 languages. Foundation The Way to Happiness Foundation International is a non-profit 501(c)(3), incorporated in 1984. Headquartered at 201 East Broadway, Glendale, California, the foundation coordinates the activities of the Way to Happiness international ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Narconon
Narconon International (commonly known as Narconon) is a Scientology organization which promotes the theories of founder L. Ron Hubbard regarding substance abuse drug rehabilitation, treatment and addiction. Its parent company is the Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE), which is owned and controlled by the Church of Scientology. Headquartered in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, California, United States, Narconon operates several dozen residential centers worldwide, chiefly in the U.S. and western Europe. The organization was formed in 1966 by Scientologist William Benitez with Hubbard's help, and was incorporated in 1970. The Scientology organization and Narconon state that Narconon is a secular program independent of Hubbard's writings about Scientology, and that it provides legitimate drug education and rehabilitation. The organization has been described by many government reports and former patients as a Scientology front groups, Scientology front group. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Volunteer Ministers
A Volunteer Minister (VM) is a member of the Church of Scientology sent to a disaster zone to spread the doctrine of Scientology during disaster relief efforts. The program was created in the 1970s by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. The Church of Scientology says that the program constitutes "the only effective steps to arrest and reverse the deterioration of heworld",Hubbard, "Volunteer Ministers," HCO Policy Letter 22 February 1991 but critics argue that Scientology uses the program to gain positive media attention and recruit new members (known within Scientology as "raw meat"). There has been controversy over the group's goals and activities. Objectives According to Hubbard, the objective of the program is to "put basic Dianetics and Scientology technology into view and into use at the raw public level."Hubbard, "The Volunteer Ministers Program," Flag Bureau Data Letter 424, 11 July 1974 In Hubbard's words, ''The Volunteer Minister's Handbook'' "will be broadly ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hugh Urban
Hugh Bayard Urban is a professor of religious studies at Ohio State University's Department of Comparative Studies and author of eight books and several academic articles, including a history of the Church of Scientology, published by Princeton University Press in 2012. He received his PhD in history of religions from the University of Chicago. Early life, education and family Urban is the son of a psychologist and Pennsylvania State University professor and was brought up in a devout Episcopal family. He is married to Nancy Jesser, who also teaches in the Department of Comparative Studies at Ohio State University. They have one child. Academic research Urban's academic focus began with the religions of India and expanded to his studies of new religious movements in both the United States and Europe, about which he has written many academic books and articles. He has said that the knowledge and power used by religions to keep information hidden from others had always fascina ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, forests, lakes, mountains, inland deserts and grassy plains. British Columbia borders the province of Alberta to the east; the territories of Yukon and Northwest Territories to the north; the U.S. states of Washington (state), Washington, Idaho and Montana to the south, and Alaska to the northwest. With an estimated population of over 5.7million as of 2025, it is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, third-most populous province. The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, British Columbia, Victoria, while the province's largest city is Vancouver. Vancouver and its suburbs together make up List of census metropolitan areas and agglomerations in Canada, the third-largest metropolit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Church Of Scientology International V
Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Christian denomination, a Christian organization with distinct doctrine and practice * Christian Church, either the collective body of all Christian believers, or early Christianity Places United Kingdom * Church, a former electoral ward of Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council that existed from 1964 to 2002 * Church (Liverpool ward), a Liverpool City Council ward * Church (Reading ward), a Reading Borough Council ward * Church (Sefton ward), a Metropolitan Borough of Sefton ward * Church, Lancashire, England United States * Church, Iowa, an unincorporated community * Church Lake, a lake in Minnesota * Church, Michigan, ghost town Arts, entertainment, and media * '' Church magazine'', a pastoral theology magazin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
