Barbara Graham Writes to Pioneer Press About Scientology Vultures

Barbara Graham Writes to Pioneer Press About Scientology Vultures

September 07, 2002
A Time For Healing

It is poignant, and oddly comforting to know that, next Sunday, people of all religions in the United States will be sharing a remembrance of that terrible September day last year, in prayer and action. One group, however, stands out in particular. The "Church" of Scientology will be once again using this tragic episode to profit from it a second time. Their offer of "help" is nothing more than an attempt to prey on vulnerable people by L. Ron Hubbard's peculiar and expensive "therapy."

Scientology's Volunteer "Ministers" have never hesitated to profit from tragedy. While other religious groups were offering bibles and free meals, they were on site to hand out their self-promotional material following the Columbine school shooting.

They are drawn to disaster like vultures, and use their presence as a public relations event.

September 11, 2001 was no exception. Ever quick to spot an opportunity to suck a few more dollars from members' wallets, the call went out exhorting members to contribute $500 or more to pay for printing up leatherbound copies of their booklet, "The Way to Happiness," supposedly to be handed out to New York City firefighters.

Worse, they seized upon the opportunity to deceive the media into promoting them on television.

An essay on Scientology Volunteer Ministers was written at the time and is available here:

http://www.xenu.net/archive/events/20010911-tragedy/

Based on several emails from VMs at Ground Zero, it outlines how Scientologists tresspassed on the site and interfered with legitimate mental health care professionals, as well as getting a promotional banner run on Fox News, which offered mental health counselling, but posted the Dianetics phone number. Once Fox was made aware of this, the banner was removed.

Since last year, we have seen Scientology using peoples' fear and uncertainty following the attack to try to pump up its dwindling membership. Fliers and signs mentioning terrorism and Osama bin Laden were inserted in newspapers nationwide, and billboards appeared in some cities.

I hope you will read this essay. As I said, it is based on Scientology internal emails, which exposes this group for what it really is. Not a religion, but a predatory, destructive cult which feeds off disaster, fear, grief and vulnerability.

Barbara Graham