Cult News

Scientology is not really known historically for its charity work.

The organization that was founded by pulp Sci-fi writer L. Ron Hubbard seems more adept at collecting fees for “religious services” through a price list of “suggested donations” rather than doling out funds or food to the needy.

But lately the controversial church, which has been called a “cult,” seems intent upon burnishing its image. So Scientology is engaged in what at times appears to be both a frantic and frenetic public relations blitz, through its so-called “volunteer ministers.”

In one hi-profile heavily reported disaster after another its ubiquitous volunteers show up to help out. Almost always wearing their bright yellow tops or jackets, which are so easily visible and readily photographed.

What do these volunteers actually do though to help?

Do they come with meaningful material assistance or does each new disaster simply provide another platform for self-serving promotion?

Scientology reportedly collects hundreds of millions of tax-exempt dollars from its faithful annually, but it can’t seem to scrape together a few million to buy food, medicines or other forms of conventional emergency relief.

Instead Scientology volunteers, who often pay their own expenses, hand out things frequently paid for by others. They also do something called “touch assists.” This means the Scientologists literally touch people, which supposedly can alleviate trauma or helps someone to “cope” with something confronting them.

However, these assists though very touching have no scientifically measurable effect and have more in common with the claims of magic than medicine.

A “team of Scientology Volunteer Ministers” recently turned up in South Africa and “set up operations to assist the firefighters and other emergency personnel by distributing food and supplies and providing Scientology Assists” reported the organization’s official Web site.

CultNews has reported before about Scientology’s special interest in assisting firefighters and rescue workers in New York. Tom Cruise even showed up and said he wanted to help too.

Of course whenever Tom Cruise offers charitable “help” it almost always seems to be linked somehow to Scientology.

Perhaps if the controversial church wants the public to perceive it as a kind and benevolent organization it should spend a few million dollars on some food and/or medicine. After all, that’s what other churches do all the time.

In this way Scientology might be taken seriously as a “church” rather than a business. That is, by providing more substance and less spin.