Ten years ago the Waco Tribune-Herald began a three-part series called “The Sinful Messiah” about a then obscure cult known as the Branch-Davidians led by Vernon Howell, later known to the world as David Koresh. The first part of that series appeared February 23, 1993, the same day the BATF came to the cult compound […]
Harvard Professor of Psychology Richard J. McNally recently presented definitive research, which demonstrated that emotional trauma, can come from imagined experiences, such as UFO abductions. McNally seems to think such claims are actually only “false memories” produced largely through “the power of emotional belief.” But apparently another academic at Harvard thinks otherwise. John E. Mack, […]
Per Nielson Monitor-Plus Scientology spent $45 million dollars last year on advertising, reports Yahoo. Now the controversial church has contracted a new firm named Horizon to handle its lucrative ad business. And apparently Horizon is popular amongst Scientologists. It also handles Earthlink’s advertising, founded by prominent and outspoken Scientologist Sky Dayton. So what’s up? It […]
It seems no court defeat can deter some Waco Branch-Davidians and/or surviving relatives from pursuing their cause and case against the government. On Monday a lawyer representing the families of deceased Davidians argued that the dismissal of their civil suit in favor of the government was wrong, due to the trying judge’s supposed bias, reported […]
On December 28, 2002 the Dallas Morning News published a review of the book Nothing is Impossible by Christopher Reeve. The actor and director, now widely known for his efforts to promote spinal cord injury research, wrote his latest book about coping with paralysis and ongoing recovery. The newspaper review by Richard Dickey stated, “Reeve […]
Scientology finally achieved tax-exempt status in Germany this month, reports Deutsche Welle. The organization has striven for years to accomplish this. One German critic said Scientology “operates as nothing other than a business syndicate with a Mafia-like structure.” And Hamburg’s Scientology commissioner called the organization “dangerous.” Now defunct George Magazine once reported how Scientology used […]
Whatever happened to that old feel good extended weekend seminar known as “est,” which developed a “cult following” that included celebrities like Valerie Harper and John Denver? Well it got bigger and better, at least from a business perspective. Est is now called “Landmark Education,” and according to a press release on Yahoo, the private […]
Showtime began airing a reality television program devoted to exposing unproven claims, pseudo-science, supposed “psychics” and “spirit mediums,” amongst other assorted and/or apparent mumbo-jumbo. Las Vegas magicians Penn & Teller are the hosts and they promise to debunk everything from claims about the dangers of second hand smoke, to global warming. The show is titled, […]
John and Vicki Tubiolo wanted to know how their church spent money. But the church had other ideas. Rather than let the Tubiolo’s check the books, their church threw them out and now the matter is in court, reports The Herald Sun. The Abundant Life Church of Hillsborough, North Carolina started as a bible study, […]
In his new book Nothing Is Impossible, Christopher Reeve offers inspiration and hope, but the Hollywood icon also demonstrates his enduring sense of humor. In a chapter titled Religion, Reeve tells the story of his involvement with Scientology during 1975. The saga begins outside a supermarket where the actor runs into a Scientologist promoting a […]
