Eric Abetz made me really cross. The fact that he seemed to think Scientologists have free recourse to the police and judiciary shows that he has not been hearing those speaking out and has no understanding of the strictures of Scientology.
Most of the abuses are not police issues. Am I seriously going to go to the police and say, "I worked 100 hours last week," if I am in a cult?
Why doesn't he simply require 'religious' organisations to abide by the same rules as other employers?
I thought he was mind-bogglingly out of touch with the issues at hand, and the mood of the electorate.
1. Internal control: the amount of internal political power exercised by leader(s) over members.
2. Wisdom claimed by leader(s): the amount of infallibility declared about decisions.
3. Wisdom credited to leader(s) by members; the amount of trust in decisions made by leader(s).
4. Dogma: the rigidity of reality concepts taught; the amount of doctrinal inflexibility.
5. Recruiting: the emphasis put on attracting new members; the amount of proselytizing.
6. Front groups: the number of subsidiary groups using names different from that of the main group.
7. Wealth: the amount of money and/or property desired or obtained; the degree of emphasis on members' donations.
8. Political power: the amount of external political influence desired or obtained.
9. Sexual manipulation of members by leader(s); the amount of control of sex lives of members.
10. Censorship: the amount of control over members' access to outside opinions on group: its doctrines: or its leader(s).
11. Dropout control: the intensity of efforts directed at preventing or returning dropouts.
12. Endorsement of violence when used by or for the group or its leader(s).
13. Paranoia: the amount of fear concerning real or imagined enemies: the perceived power of opponents.
14. Grimness: the amount of disapproval concerning jokes about the group, its doctrines, or its leader(s).
This is from 1998, but I think it is relevant to what is happening in Australia right now.
Despite all the overwhelming current evidence and historical data about scientology abusing it's members and taking advantage of it's tax free status and obviously hiding behind it's false religious cloaking some Senators and members of Parliament are refusing to even investigate.
This makes me wonder: What does scientology have on these cowards? How is the cult shuddering them into silence?
http://www.factnet.org/Scientology/judge_tampering.html
http://www.rickross.com/reference/scientology/Scien54.html
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/18/2849501.htm?section=justin...Nationals Senator Nigel Scullion said he supported the inquiry but would not be crossing the floor to vote for it without his colleagues' support.
"Xenophon is a stubborn bastard and he's going to keep going and good luck to him," he said.
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/polit...-created-equal-in-politics-20100319-qiws.htmlNot all grievances are created equal in politics
MARK DAVIS
March 19, 2010 - 8:21AM
When allegations emerged that shonky insulation installers operating under the Federal Government's home insulation program had exposed householders to the risk of fires and workers to injury or death, the Liberal and National Parties promptly referred the matter to a Senate inquiry.
And when trade unions claimed that Australia Post was cutting its workers compensation costs by using company doctors to force injured employees back to work prematurely, the Labor Party was more than willing to ask a Senate committee to inquire.
But yesterday, despite credible accounts tabled in Parliament of harassment, assault and fraud by the Church of Scientology, Labor, Liberal and National Senators all joined forces to defeat a move by the South Australian independent Senator Nick Xenophon for an inquiry.
You might have thought the role of Senate committees should include investigating serious grievances and claims of mistreatment by citizens who have nowhere else to go because of gaps in the legal system.
But not all grievances, it seems, are created equal.
The Opposition is more interested in allegations which lend themselves to political point-scoring against the Government. The Government, in turn, prefers Senate inquiries which give its allies in the union movement a forum to ventilate industrial grievances.
Senator Xenophon first raised his concerns about Scientology in the Senate last November.
He tabled letters from former members, officials and staff alleging abusive practices inside the Church including assault, imprisonment, torture, covering up sexual abuse, blackmail and embezzlement...
Thanks for posting HD.
I am not certain about any Statute of Limitations down under, but even so, if someone is stating that alleged abuses surpass existing limitations then is that not an argument for an inquiry, since charges, investigation and possible prosecution is impossible? An inquiry would therefore be the only answer to chronic criminal behaviour that has passed any limitation. :confused2:
A companion though and comment to that observation would be including the concept of not dealing with 'old statute limited crimes' until it escalates to murder? :confused2:
Thanks for posting HD.
Yep, good on ya Janette, you've really made a difference.
Just wanting to add my real support for Janette. What courage! I trust Janette will either see these posts or that Liz will pass on our heartfelt appreciation for what Janette did on Wednesday. I understand that Janette really impacted politicans across the house. I really admire you, Janette. It cannot have been easy to stand in front of all of those cameras and know that your very private history was about to be splashed across the media. Even as I was thinking to myself - I hope this woman is not alone and has other ex-scn's to supponrt her - and began the first thoughts about messaging Rohan to that effect, there was Liz at Janette's side and I knew that all was well on that front.
Women across Australia will have been affected by Janette's statement (and men too). I hope that some of those most affected are current Scn's who have doubts about the abuses surfacing and that they will look that much harder as a consequence.
I'd like to thank every one who took the long trek to our capitol to take responsibility at a national level for the abuses perpetrated by the cult, it was quite heroic of you all.
How long till we see their stories on ESMB ?The CofS had two OSA "volunteers" there photographing us. I spoke to one of them at length, friendly like, and Nettie gave the other a hug. I think they were taken aback by that, next time I'll be more prepared and they may not return as Scientologists.
It's no longer a question for our Senators and senior MP's as to whether or not the CofS should be investigated.....The only question now is *how*.