Cult News

Devout Scientologist Tom Cruise continues to be mentioned in the press regarding his relationship with an heir to Australia’s greatest fortune, reports The New Zealand Herald.

James Packer, son of billionaire Kerry Packer, landed at New Plymouth airport in an executive jet over the weekend to visit the American movie star, now shooting his latest film there.

The two are buddies and persistent reports claim that the friendship prompted Packer to explore Scientology.

It seems like Tom Cruise is effectively chumming the waters “down under” for Scientology by using his star status to catch big fish for the controversial church, which has been called a “cult.”

And he may have caught a whopper for Scientology if Packer has become involved.

However, the “Sci-fi cult” doesn’t always keep its catch.

Nicole Kidman has apparently broken away from Scientology. And both Nicholas Cage and Michael Jackson left hardcore follower Lisa Marie Presley, without becoming deeply involved.

But a billionaire Aussie would certainly be a good swap for Kidman.

Hollywood celebrity appears to be a flashy lure when “cults” cruise for converts.

The Mungiki sect or “cult” has a horrific history of murder and mayhem in Kenya. Last week alone 32 people were murdered by cult members, only the latest victims of the cult’s reign of terror, reports Sunday Nation.

However, the international media rarely devotes its resources for meaningful in-depth coverage of the brutal cult killings in Africa.

Why?

When 39 members of a relatively obscure American cult known as “Heaven’s Gate” committed suicide in 1997 it made headlines and generated seemingly endless journalistic analysis.

And in 1994 when 53 members of the then obscure Solar Temple were found dead in Switzerland, that too became the focus of rapt international press concern.

The Mungiki movement may include more than 2 million members and seems intent upon destablizing a government.

Just after 2000 hundreds of bodies were recovered in Uganda, the direct result of brutal cult slayings and suicide connected to “The Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments.” But again this didn’t generate the same international news coverage that much less historically significant cults did outside of Africa .

Why?

In 1978 when 900 Americans died in an isolated cult compound in Guyana called “Jonestown” there was no shortage of journalists willing to cover that story. More than that number probably died in Uganda, but we will never know due to a lack of forensic assistance and it seems international interest.

Apparently African cult tragedies somehow don’t rate the same attention from the international media and community.

It appears that many news outlets think cult members must be white, American, European or at least from an industrialized nation such as Japan (i.e. Aum), to be worthy serious concern and meaningful in-depth reporting.

A Michigan man removed his two minor children from a controversial church in North Carolina called a “cult,” reports the Digital Courier.

The sheriff assisted Andre Clark when he sought his children, which had somehow been placed with families associated with the Word of Faith Fellowship(WOFF), led by Jane Whaley.

However, Shana Muse, another parent seeking the release of her four minor children from WOFF has not yet received the same assistance from local authorities.

Muse has waited a month now to be reunited permanently with her children, while authorities dither and seem needlessly deferential to Whaley and her followers.

When will the red tape and seemingly endless due process reach a conclusion for the distraught mother?

Can there be any doubt that Whaley and her followers do not have the authority to separate a mother from her minor children?

Scientology has been fined $1,370 and ordered to pay court costs of $17,800 for libeling a Danish journalist and German filmmaker, reports Associated Press.

Danish journalist Joergen Pedersen and German filmmaker Walther Heynowski were trashed in the Scientology magazine “Freedom” after they refused to stop production of a television show critical of the controversial church, which has been called a “cult.”

“Freedom” published a totally false report that claimed Heynowski once worked for Stasi and in turn trained Pederson.

Stasi was a notorious network of informants once used to suppress the citizens of Communist East Germany.

After Scientology suffered the legal defeat in Copenhagen its spokesperson said, “We are quite shocked about this ruling because it stops the freedom of speech.”

What?

Coming from one of the most noted and active litigates that often sues and harasses its critics on the Internet it seems bizarre that a Scientologist would now cry for “freedom of speech.”

It appears this protest is more of a pragmatic pose than anything based upon principles.

Don’t expect to see Scientology lawyers relax their efforts to suppress free speech amongst their perceived enemies anytime soon.

David Pearl, once a member of a reputed Sci-fi “cult” called “BDX” entered a guilty plea regarding a murder plot, reports the Baltimore Sun.

And what about Pearl’s leader?

Scott Caruthers, the mastermind behind BDX, is using a insanity defense. His lawyer said, “Once the judge has the psychiatric report, I expect my client will be placed under the care of the state for appropriate treatment.”

However, Caruthers’ hopes he won’t be locked up in a mental hospital. His attorney says, “There is no reason that this [should] be inpatient treatment. No one thinks of him as a danger to himself or to others.”

Huh?

Wasn’t Caruthers charged for planning to kill someone?

However, it is easy to see that the “cult leader” is a mental case. Amongst his grandiose claims Caruthers said he was from outer space.

Hey wait a minute, doesn’t this sound like publicity hound Claude Vorilhon, now known as “Rael,” of recent “Clone Cult” fame? The Raelian leader says his dad was from outer space.

The Caruthers case brings out the often-observed fact that many cult leaders are not exactly poster boys and girls for mental health.

Not content to simply be a movie star, Tom Cruise once again used his celebrity to promote Scientology’s agenda by essentially attacking the mental health profession during an interview, reports The Age.

The devout Scientologist star was interviewed while filming a movie in Australia. Cruise said, “Today in America I know they are so quick to put children on drugs because they are not learning well.” An apparent reference to medications like Ritalin, which are prescribed for children with disabilities.

Cruise was supposedly “helped” regarding his own learning disability through Scientology’s “technology.” However, no objective scientific study has been peer-reviewed and published that substantiates Scientology’s so-called “study tech.”

Instead, the controversial church, which has been called a “cult,” relies upon stars like Cruise that use their celebrity as a vehicle to tout the tech through anecdotal stories.

Kirstie Alley offers similar testimonials regarding her recovery from drug addiction through Narconon, a program based upon Scientology teachings.

Interestingly, Cruise’s former wife Nicole Kidman’s father is a psychologist. But the mental health profession is often maligned by Scientology, which sees itself as the true path to mental health.

It is rumored that Scientology may have been a factor in the Cruise-Kidman divorce. Kidman is a Catholic.

Perhaps Tom Cruise is still “not learning well.” At 40 he has two failed marriages and is apparently planning a third to actress Penelope Cruz, another Catholic.

The 10th U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal of Amway as a defendant in Proctor & Gamble’s lawsuit, which alleged the multi level marketer and its distributors spread rumors that the products giant promoted “Satanism,” reports the Detroit Free Press.

Lawsuits in Texas against individual Amway distributors will continue, but the Amway Corp. itself is out.

Many “Diamonds,” key major distributors within Amway, are Christian fundamentalists and some seem to promote a strange mix of religion and sales that often appears to make their business seem “sanctified.” Maybe some within Amway see the competition as “Satanic”?

However, according to a Proctor & Gamble spokesperson, “Since these lawsuits were filed, the rumors have essentially stopped.”

Amway has a troubled history of lawsuits, complaints and bad press. Could this be Satan’s work?

The United Pentecostal Church International is known for its “holiness standards,” which include rigid rules for appearance such as men must be clean-shaven, no facial hair and very conservative dress.

But the UPCI dress code is not what Rev. Ronald Oree Nation, 69, has to worry about now. The St. Louis UPCI Sunday school director was arrested for violating the criminal code, for allegedly engaging in sex acts within a public park, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The UPCI routinely judges others for not being “holy” enough and says Christians who accept the trinity and are not baptized according to their “oneness” creed are condemned to hell.

What about Rev. Nation? He may have looked holy, but apparently his behavior didn’t match his appearance.

UPCI officials said they were “shocked and saddened by the allegation” and that “appropriate action” would be taken. Reportedly the minister may “retire” soon.

Amdi Petersen leader of the global “charity” organization Tvind, which has been called a “cult,” was released from a Danish jail this morning, reports Tvind Alert.

Members of the so-called “Tvind Teachers Group” picked up Petersen in a silver Mercedes.

Peterson still faces criminal charges for “fraud and breach of trust,” but will remain free on bail until his trial resumes in February.

A luxury condo Petersen occupied in Florida was recently sold for more than $4 million dollars.

It is said that the Tvind leader lived in luxury while his less fortunate followers often suffered in substandard living conditions.

Some fear that Petersen is a flight risk.

Tvind continues to maintain branches around the world, including some within the United States.

Tvind goes by many names such as Institute for International Co-operation and Development (IICD), Planet Aid, Humana or Humana People-to-People, DAPP (Development Aid from People to People), ADDP (Ajuda de Desenvolvimento de Povo para Povo), UFF (Ulanashjaelp fra Folk till Folk) and NetUp.

Hate group leader Matt Hale, now charged for planning to murder a federal judge, will be held in jail pending a hearing on Monday, reports Associated Press and WMTW.

Hale had planned to lead a racist rally over the weekend against African refugees in Lewiston, Maine. However, the self-proclaimed “Pontifex Maximus” of the World Church of the Creator, will now be unable to attend.

Hale will instead be taking a much-needed rest within a Chicago jail, as ordered by the court. His supporters will just have to spin conspiracy theories and continue hating without him.

Hale could be sentenced to twenty years in prison if found guilty. Maybe his followers should start looking for a new “Pontifex Maximus” soon?