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Independent Scientology Religious Liberty League attacks journalist Tony Ortega

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
Independent Scientology Religious Liberty League attacks journalist Tony Ortega.

Religious Liberty League: Dani Lemberger Nails Ortega as a Religious Bigot

http://religiouslibertyleague.org/429-2/


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Our readers may have missed a recent smackdown of Tony Ortega by Dani Lemberger, the head of Tel Aviv’s Dror Center, a Scientology organization that broke away from the church in 2012. We did.

But it is an important event in the independent field, for it illustrates a paradigm shift in the movement. Namely, the separation of pro-LRH, pro-Scientologists from the haters and black propagandists who had, by stealth and sophisticated counter-intelligence techniques[1], hoodwinked a number of prominent independent Scientologists into believing that nothing but the destruction of Scientology could rid the world of the abusive policies and practices of the church under the one-man leadership of David Miscavige.

Click here for a ringside seat of the extravaganza, and enjoy.

In summary, Ortega lambasted CNN and religious scholar and TV personality, Reza Aslan, for filming a positive documentary on the practice of Scientology outside the church. Among other prominent persons in the independent field, Aslan and his film crew visited the Dror Center.

Ortega railed against CNN and Aslan for daring to show the benefits of Scientology, which laid bare his religious bigotry and his true message of hatred, intolerance and exclusion.

Lemberger took exception. He wrote an eloquent comment on Ortega’s blog, and then elaborated his position in an interview that was posted on the Dror Center’s website. We encourage everyone to read both pieces in the link above.

Among other things, Lemberger nails Ortega for:

* his “refusal to differentiate between the Church and the subject of Scientology,” pointing out the definition of insanity is the inability to recognize differences in things, which leads to an absurd fear of apples, for example, based on one apple that, many years ago, had a worm in it;

* his refusal to experience Scientology processing or to even visit the Dror Center during Ortega’s occasional trips to Israel, as requested by Lemberger; and,

* his positioning as an authority and journalist writing on the subject of Scientology when, in fact, he has a strong hatred and scorn of Hubbard and the philosophy he founded.

Ortega is a religious hate monger, his blog a cesspool of hatred, intolerance and exclusion. “No,” he protested to us several years ago when we called bullshit to his face; he was just reporting on corruption and inhumane treatment. His writings betray his contention.

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Association of Free Scientologists Israel: Ortega-Aslan-Lemberger

http://scnil.org/english/2016/02/04/ortega-aslan-lemberger/


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However, Ortega’s post against CNN and Reza Aslan drew a sharp response from Dani Lemberger. Dani posted a comment which we have copied here in full:

Hello Tony,

You are right about one thing, Reza Aslan did spend a wonderful day with us, at Dror Center, Haifa, Israel, about a month ago.

I’m sorry to say, you are wrong about all the rest. And you do manifest bigotry and hatred, based on ignorance. You told me, when we spoke, that you visit Israel occasionally. I invited you to come see us at Dror, even get some free auditing, but you refused to come and “see for yourself.”

You ridicule the “indie” Scientologists who are still foolish enough to “believe in LRH” but when you have an opportunity to see what we do, you turn it down.

I told you on our last telephone conversation that you too, like other critics, refuse to make the obvious distinction between the scam called the “Church of Scientology” and the subject of Scientology. Miscavige is a lunatic, a despot, the operation he runs is NOT an organization, is NOT a Church and has NOTHING to do with the practice of Scientology.

Why would you be annoyed with Reza Aslan deciding to cover the philosophy or religion of Scientology?

Why make the false statement that we are: ” a movement that, at its national annual convention, managed to gather about 36 people.” You know this is lie! Fact is, there are many thousands of “indie” and “freezone” Scientologists, actively practicing around the world.

I can easily prove to you that we are expanding steadily, not only at Dror, but world-wide.

I can also, easily, prove to you that Scientology does deliver “miracles” and “amazing” results. We do so consistently at Dror. You or any of the readers of this blog are warmly invited to come take a look.

It pains me that LRH made some grave errors which enabled a lunatic such as Miscavige to seize control and destroy Scientology. Miscavige’s criminality may have killed Karen’s son, the Scientology philosophy definitely did not.

When I spent an evening with Karen at her home in July 2013, she still considered herself a Scientologist, we agreed that the Church is NOT Scientology, that Miscvige is a horrendous despot. Karen offered to help us in training on auditing tech of her expertise and gave us one of her e-meters as a present. Maybe she has changed her mind since, which she is entitled to, of course.

Marty Rathbun too was an ardent Scientologist when I met him in June 2012, and a few months later became an anti-Scientologist. I still love him and think he’s a great guy, even though we differ on the subject of Scientology.

Is Scientology a religion? I think not. But many scholars of the subject disagree with me. Two years ago we hosted, at Dror, Prof James Lewis, an expert on “Modern Religions” who has spent much time studying Scientology. He insisted it falls under the definition of religion, I told him I view it as an “Applied Spiritual Philosophy”. Doesn’t really matter what you call it.

Your refusal to differentiate between the Church and the subject of Scientology is what we, Scientologists, call A=A=A. The inability of the reactive mind to see differences. This is also the definition of insanity: viewing as identical, things that are not the same. Like, being afraid of all apples because one apple, years ago, had a worm in it.

So maybe you are somewhat obsessive and lack sanity on the subject of Scientology. I am sure you know very well that I am not at all like Miscavige, I am intelligent, truly caring of others, run Dror as a democratic partnership where people from all over the world love to come, and are free to leave. We charge reasonable rates for high-quality services, never compelling a person to donate a dime or take an action he does not wish.

Further, you also should know that I am one of the most effective enemies of Miscavige. Possibly even more dangerous to him than you. This point is hard to measure so I say, “possibly”. I am currently suing the Church of Scientology International, as your readers should know, in the Tel Aviv District Court. And, don’t tell anyone, this is still a secret, am helping a few other fellow “indies” in preparing their lawsuits that will soon hit the Church.

Scientology is now delivered throughout the world, by hundreds of auditors to thousands of “preclears” with great success. The subject will long outlive criminal operation which is on a rapid decline.

If you allow me some additional space on your site, I will be happy to tell your readers more about what we actually do. Those who scorn or mock, do so out of ignorance and I realize, in some cases, due to their suffering at the hands of an evil man, pretending to be a follower of LRH.

Thanks for posting this. Best wishes for a wonderful 2016, Dani Lemberger

Following this comment, a long exchange developed on Ortega’s blog. (Note: This is a link to Disqus, a discussion tool used by Ortega’s blog. We are not familiar with it.)


AFSI’s follow-up interview with Dani Lemberger

We recently called Dani to find out what made him so furious about Ortega’s post.

AFSI: Dani, in your comment on Ortega’s blog you accuse him of hatred, bigotry and ignorance. How comes?

Dani: Many other readers there have taken this point up. How dare I say that Tony is “ignorant” concerning Scientology. Tony Ortega has established himself as an authority on the subject and I dare state the opposite. There’s a few points to this:

First, if Tony is a journalist, I think he should bring news and opinions of others and remain unbiased. If he has a strong position of hatred and scorn towards Hubbard and Scientology, he loses his position as a fair reporter.

Second, Tony refuses to make the clear and obvious distinction between the Church and the subject of Scientology. This is irrational, upsetting and even damaging to me personally. That he and I have one common enemy, David Miscavige, does not mean we agree about the subject of Scientology.

Third, Tony has never had any auditing, has never even visited a decent Scientology center. It so happens his girlfriend is Israeli and he visits Israel occasionally. I invited him to come see Dror Center, inspect it with his own eyes, see what we are doing. He’s never come, says he’s too busy. Strange, if he would have had a genuine and honest approach to the subject, he’d find the time. He’s devoted his life to attacking Scientology, maybe he should take a fresh look at it.

AFSI: Anything else about this specific article, about Reza Aslan’s documentary?

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Last edited:

Churchill

Gold Meritorious Patron
Dani has received his cramming order to report to FZ Qual and demo "How to find Tony Ortega's ruin."

Unfortunately, there isn't enough clay in all the Dead Sea to earn him a "pass."

In my one brief, but futile correspondence with Dani, after I pointed out that Hubbard was as abusive (if not more so) than Miscavige, Lemberger accused me of "telling him what to think" which is a lovely rhetorical "circular thought stopping" construct Scientologists employ to offset the cognitive dissonance that would otherwise result from an honest examination of Hubbard's frequent bizarrely abusive behavior.

The entire moral legitimacy of the FZ rests upon the unassailable belief that Hubbard was "mankinds best friend."

Truly an assumption built upon sand...
 

arcxcauseblows

Patron Meritorious
Pkb he's right Tony wont examine the other side but neither will he, he sounds like he drinks the kool aid

A bigot calling someone a bigot, who cares
 

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
Dani Lemberger has provided more information in a comment on the Religious Liberty League blog. Some of the information is new, or at least new to me.

http://religiouslibertyleague.org/429-2/

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Dani Lemberger February 7, 2016 at 10:17 am Reply

Dear Merrell,

Thank you for posting this article and linking to the article which appeared on the AFSI site.

Two technical notes first:

1. Dror Center is in Haifa, north Israel, not in Tel Aviv. This is a vital point of local patriotism. Tel Aviv is the big city, Haifa is always inferior. Our friend Hemi Benvinisti, who comes from Tel Aviv to do services at Dror, Haifa, says we deserve a medal from the mayor of Haifa because it’s the first time ever somebody from Tel Aviv comes to Haifa for anything.

2. The article about Ortega-Aslan was posted on the site of the Association of Free Scientologists Israel (AFSI), it is not the Dror Center site. About three years ago a group of “indie” Scientologists in Israel established a non-profit association so that the aims of free Scientology can be forwarded and protected. We now have Scientology activities in Israel that are not part of Dror, most notably Don Schaul who is in Tel Aviv.

Now, to the subject matter itself. Yes, I have seen many “indie” Scientologist drift and become Scientology opponents. Marty Rathbun, when I spent a week with him at his home in June 2012, was still an ardent Scientologist and auditor and a few months later “changed sides”. Karen de la Carriere too was with us as a Scientologist opposing the lunatic Miscavige. Same was true of Mike Rinder, who told me he plans to continue doing Scientology and now seems to hold an anti-Scientology, anti-Hubbard position.

All have a right to change their minds and I do not need to protect LRH if anyone wants to attack him. I’m sure he can fend for himself, wherever he may be.

Yet I observe the drift and it dismays me. There may be PTSness to the likes of Ortega, Alex Gibney or Lawrence Wright or whatever. Clearly the book and film “Going Clear” fail to do the very minimum of contacting several non-Church Scientologists, show the other side of Scientology and attempt to explain why some nuts like myself still do Scientology, despite the church’s criminality.

The last few years my wife, Tami, and I have traveled extensively to observe for ourselves. We’ve gone from Idaho to Sweden to South Africa, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Florida, California and more. And I have not yet been to Australia, Russia, Atlanta and countless other places.

All over the world we witness an enthusiastic “re-birth” of Scientology, maybe similar to the scene of the 1950-60’s, like old-old-timers have described it to me. Some of this I could still observe when we got on lines at COSMOD, the San Francisco Mission in 1980. The Mission Holder, Martin Samuels, was promptly declared in 1982. Guess by whom.

So it’s happening now world-wide. At Dror Center we now have young people coming in, who’ve never even heard of the fricking CoS, enjoying wins on TR’s, co-auditing Dianetics, eager to become auditors. And we also enjoy the constant trickle of ex-Churchies coming from abroad to do their OT Levels and rid themselves of traumas from their last contact with the Church’s “AO’s”. Like Anthony Price from Sidney or Marat Iskanderov from Almaty and many more.

I’m so happy to see us working together and building up our network of friendship and support. Thanks, Dani


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Veda

Sponsor
Dani Lemberger has provided more information in a comment on the Religious Liberty League blog. Some of the information is new, or at least new to me.

http://religiouslibertyleague.org/429-2/

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Dani Lemberger February 7, 2016 at 10:17 am Reply

Dear Merrell,

-snip-


All over the world we witness an enthusiastic “re-birth” of Scientology, maybe similar to the scene of the 1950-60’s, like old-old-timers have described it to me. Some of this I could still observe when we got on lines at COSMOD, the San Francisco Mission in 1980. The Mission Holder, Martin Samuels, was promptly declared in 1982. Guess by whom.

-snip-


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From a 1986 - 30 years ago! - interview of Martin Samuels, former Mission Holder, and founder of the Delphian School, from the 'Reflections' chapter of the book, 'L. Ron Hubbard, Messiah or Madman?' http://www.amazon.com/reader/0942637577?_encoding=UTF8&ref_=sib_dp_pt :


Hubbard operated according to a couple of key patterns.

The first pattern involved basically decent well intentioned people... no one was able to rise in the organization to a point of any real proximity to him, without being attacked and vilified...

And of course the next person thinks he or she is immune...

The next pattern: It's reap and rape. Hubbard would let the reins loose. He'd let people believe they really could get on with it... He'd let people believe they really could prosper to the full extent of their own ability, and enjoy the fruits of their labor.

And, with that kind of freedom, prosperity does occur, Inevitably, though, he'd come along and rape and pillage and rip off and take what had been produced. The most dramatic example of this was '82, '83, when he 'raped' his most decent people in management along with the mission holders, and looted the entire mission network.

And look at this pattern... He surrounded himself with absolute hooligans as 'managers'; guys who beat the shit out of people. This man, who 'is this OT, the author of Science of Survival, completely able to predict human behavior', surrounded himself with ruthless people - like Miscavige - who got there because they emulated Hubbard's savagery. They emulated his total willingness to completely break, use, and discard another person.

And then after their hands were so bloody - and the only reason their hands were bloody was that they were doing what Hubbard wanted - when it finally started to get to the point where it couldn't be tolerated by people anymore, Hubbard wiped them out. Then he said. 'My God! I didn't know!' Scapegoat. He even did that to his own wife, who went to jail in his place...

But the thing that's amazing, and to me terrifying, is the characteristic of the mind, my mind, your mind, and apparently many other people's minds, where I could buy this horseshit, where I could participate in it.
 

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
A follow-up. By my reading of the discussion on the Religious Liberty League article -

http://religiouslibertyleague.org/429-2/

(and please read it yourself to see if you agree), the following people endorse or support the RLL's attack on Tony Ortega as a "religious bigot":

Merrell Vannier
Dave LaCroix
Dani Lemberger
Aida Thomas
"Peter"
Theo Sismanides
Robin Adair

And perhaps Shelley Jackson

It further appears that Merrell Vannier has threatened, or at least impliedly threatened, Tony:

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Merrell Vannier February 10, 2016 at 9:20 pm Reply

Thank you for the post. Good points. Dani Lemberger actually did a better job than I exposing him; I just reported on it. I’m saving my piece for a later time, but will only run it if Ortega continues to attack the religion of Scientology and people who practice the religion for the purpose of bettering their lives and others’ — in their estimation, which is the only valid measuring stick. Ortega has an interesting history, especially for a person who likes to judge and attack others. I’ll leave it at that for now.

[DELETED]

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It also appears the RLL may be adopting Margaret's theory that L. Ron Hubbard really was a war hero, the belief critics of Scientology are controlled by SMERSH (of the Soviet Union or James Bond novels, I don't know), and 911 conspiracy theories:

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Robin Adair February 11, 2016 at 12:40 am Reply

Hey you’re welcome.

We should avoid making the same mistake that the so called “Church of Scientology” makes and that is confusing character assassination with the “dead agent caper” or “dead agenting”:

As Ron says in HCO POLICY LETTER OF 13 AUGUST 1970 Issue II PR Series 2 THE MISSING INGREDIENT:

The technique of proving utterances false is called “DEAD AGENTING.” It’s in the first book of Chinese espionage. When the enemy agent gives false data, those who believed him but now find it false kill him-or at least cease to believe him.

So the PR slang for it is “dead agenting.”

This consists of disproving utterly the false statement with documents or demonstration or display.

One has to have a kit (a collection of documents) or the ability to demonstrate or something to display.

Since many of his “sources” of “information” have come from “documents” that have been obtained through the FOIA and are of questionable veracity.

In fact much of it comes from the late cross dressing Director of the FBI Jane Edgar Hoover.

Others from our friends in the so called “Intelligence” Community and State Department when they were accusing us of running guns, selling drugs and having orgies (the latter I somehow missed and was the main reason I got into Scientology….just kidding) and various other assorted “crimes”.

Take a look at how Margaret has pretty much deconstructed the myths perpetrated by Cooper, Russell and later plagiarized by Wright and later promoted in that shoddy “doc” by Gibney:

http://scientologymyths.com/hubbardww2.htm

Never mind the fact that Ortega considers someone as historically challenged as Atack a “historian”:

http://www.chaletbooks.com/chaletreports/

Like the writer of this series of posts says:

“Only fiction doesn’t leave a paper trail.”

And much of what Tony writes is nothing but fiction.

Also I wouldn’t trust the lame stream media with our current disagreement with the current regime or exposing their corruption as they evidently have gotten the story wrong which they usually do since like Tony they assign the most compromised, lazy and mentally inept “journalists” to the Scientology beat.

Usually those who have a wikipedia “understanding” of the subject and the organization or who receive their marching orders from SMERSH like say Larry Wright who’s last name defies his type of journalism. Since in most cases he gets the story wrong:

http://banditobooks.com/essay/content/2.php

_____________________________________________________________

Merrell Vannier February 11, 2016 at 2:48 am Reply

Robin, I edited out the sentence re: Ortega. Hope you don’t mind. Too inflammatory. As you said in the sentence following it, which I also edited as no longer applicable, it isn’t important.


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Veda

Sponsor
A follow-up. By my reading of the discussion on the Religious Liberty League article -

http://religiouslibertyleague.org/429-2/

(and please read it yourself to see if you agree), the following people endorse or support the RLL's attack on Tony Ortega as a "religious bigot":

Merrell Vannier
Dave LaCroix
Dani Lemberger
Aida Thomas
"Peter"
Theo Sismanides
Robin Adair

And perhaps Shelley Jackson

It further appears that Merrell Vannier has threatened, or at least impliedly threatened, Tony:

* * * * * BEGIN QUOTATION * * * * *


Merrell Vannier February 10, 2016 at 9:20 pm Reply

Thank you for the post. Good points. Dani Lemberger actually did a better job than I exposing him; I just reported on it. I’m saving my piece for a later time, but will only run it if Ortega continues to attack the religion of Scientology and people who practice the religion for the purpose of bettering their lives and others’ — in their estimation, which is the only valid measuring stick. Ortega has an interesting history, especially for a person who likes to judge and attack others. I’ll leave it at that for now.

[DELETED]

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-snip-

Here are a few of the many pamphlets distributed by Scientology over the years, applying both Hubbard's religion angle and his dishonest - multi-layered - PR Tech.

271B8AE900000578-3015144-image-a-44_1427821159924.jpg


bigotflier.gif


religiou.gif


maybenex.gif



__________________


article-2592376-0001961300000C1D-324_634x465.jpg

Notice, to the far right, a display of war medals to disprove false data about L. Ron not being a genuine war hero.
 

Boson Wog Stark

Patron Meritorious
Indies themselves aren't allowed to explain, demonstrate or teach Scientology for free on YouTube, for example. It's against Hubbard's injunction on verbal tech. And they don't do it.

When writing a book such as GOING CLEAR, Wright is not advertising Scientology by seeking out Indies who are still selling it. He's writing about the organization with the power and influence to trap people, and how their beliefs and policies influence their behavior. Right now that's the main cult.

Lemberger and other indies have this inflated view of their influence and importance, compared to the main CoS. They go on and on about the "subject of Scientology," when the subject is contradictory, convoluted and based heavily on trauma release therapy, wishful thinking and the placebo effect, which they themselves are unwilling to demonstrate or explain. Dianutty is a lot of goofy babble. Ortega dissected it well.

The indies ignore all of Hubbard's fascist blather about clearing the planet and disposing of SPs and opponents, or about how Scientologists are the people the planet obeys, not to mention his lies and chronic self-aggrandizement.

Wright was not interested in indies playacting at Scientology, and then only able to express themselves by trying to sell it.

Whether it was what Hubbard did with the missions or to Mayo, Hubbard didn't like anyone making money off Scientology outside the main cult. If Scientology isn't all about the money, including the subject of Scientology, I challenge the Indies all to become multimillionaires in something other than Scientology, and then give all Scientology services away for free. That might give "the subject of Scientology" more respect, and less scorn.
 

ethercat

Cat in flight

I would just like to point out, for irony's sake, that the word missing on that sign between the words "SCIENTOLOGY" and "ITS CRITICS" was "HARASSES".

That's right, the cult edited out the word "harasses" from a sign shown on the flyer they used to harass their critics.
 
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