congrats; well-deserved

It´s a great article.
and very scary…

Wow! I always thought Scientologists were just a little strange harmless group. I never would have guessed how sinister and evil they are.

Nice work, aside from the emo cover stories.

Rollingstones news and political coverage are good i enjoy reading the stories posts and posting congratulations keep it up thanks

Have you received your deserved Nobel Prize for “I’m From Rolling Stone” yet?

I just wish they would be as controversial with 911

this is a wierdo website. No truth un it.

I wonder if that was how the CIAs MK Ultra mind control programs were discovered and exposed.

James Lightfield: What on earth does George Bush have to do with this Scientology article? (I’m sure you’ll be more than happy to explain!)

You’ve been around the Church a long time. Of course, they didn’t make you sign a Lisa clause when you got into it, since it would still be years before Lisa McPherson would be allowed to die during an Introspection Rundown. But perhaps you knew some of the Guardian Office staff who went to prison with Mary Sue Hubbard. Maybe you met Ron’s son Quentin, who killed himself. Have you had any friends or family who were declared, or shipped off to the RPF? Do you ever let yourself realize that LRH flat-out lied about things he’d done? Come on…wake up, dude.

i would honestly say that the scientology article was very informative and it changed the way i thought about scientology. before i really didnt know about the craziness and now i do, thanx for the insite. oh i also need to re suscribe….

Someone brought up Lisa McPherson. What the media did not report were facts. A medical examiner lied and withheld forensic information in an attempt to discredit Scientology.

In December 1995, Lisa McPherson died very suddenly of an unpredictable death by pulmonary embolism.

The Church of Scientology waited for the autopsy to find out why. Finally, a year later, Medical Examiner Joan Wood released the autopsy report. However it was not released to the Church nor its attorneys, but first to the St. Petersburg Times, and a media frenzy led by medical examiner Joan Wood and Clearwater Police Officer Andrews was launched. This was the first time the Church had been accused of wrongdoing in the case.

Not only did Joan Wood feed her false information to the local media, but also she went on two different tabloid TV shows, “Hard Copy” and “Inside Edition” and made the same outrageous accusations.

Joan Wood alleged that she had performed the autopsy. The Church later found out that an assistant medical examiner had, and he testified under oath that Joan Wood was not even present.

The Church of Scientology had to bring suit to be allowed access to the medical records and to have these records examined by experts, as it was clear that Wood was lying and her reports had no resemblance to what happened to Lisa McPherson.

Joan Wood was ordered by a Court to turn over all tissue sample slides for review by our medical experts. She turned over 19 slides, representing that these were all the tissue samples that were taken. However, when the Church was allowed by the State to obtain original tissue samples to have them reviewed, it discovered that there were 21 separate tissue sample slides. When these were reviewed by three of the foremost medical examiners in the country, they found that Wood had withheld the most important evidence in the case: the two critical slides which disprove everything she says.

Lisa McPherson died of a sudden, unpredictable Pulmonary Embolism.

There was no severe dehydration and dehydration was not the cause of death.

There is no evidence of her suffering any coma.

The clot formation was due to injury to her leg that likely occurred from the car accident she suffered two weeks before her death.

Civil suit discovery has uncovered evidence that:

Joan Wood’s office destroyed documents concerning this matter that contained evidence showing the Church’s innocence.

Joan Wood’s office covered up evidence that proves her allegations false and proves Lisa McPherson’s death was accidental and unpredictable.

This added up to obstruction of justice.

Scientology is not a religion, it’s a SECT. Open up your bank accounts and get ready to see them melt away rapidly!

Good article! I especially enjoyed the parallels between Scientology and other religions like Christianity, etc. as well as the interviews from people that represent both sides of the spectrum…the ones who practice Scientology adoringly and the ones who have denounced it. Good job on keeping a well-balanced article that explores this religion from the inside out.

Hi James! You may need a vacation soon, the truth is coming out about the cult…

This is an excellent article, don’t let James get in your way. He is one of the “damage control” guys for the church.

I hope to see more articles on the C of S. This one nailed alot of the despicable activity but there is still more! Too many people are living in fear from this “Church”. It’s not really acceptable that this organisation routinely ruins aspects of people’s lives if not the person’s entire life-there’s not much left in the case of a person who has lost all his money, family and friends. The C of S is socially parasitic and harmful.

Wow! I havent heard this much name slinging in a long time. I’m Jewish and boy did I have a problem in school and being laughed at — and a lot worse! I read you guys use words like cult and all I think of is the world would be a better place without such hatred! I heard a catholic priest say all non believers were going to hell and burn for all eternity .. so anyone who hates like some of you people –are really low life scum like the rest of the mud slingers!!!

and you’ll probably write about what you’re doing is to “protect people” — yeah sure — that’s what you hateful people always say!

Mason, it is not a matter of hate. Scientology really is a cult. One that takes advantage of its followers and engages in all sorts of unpleasant scenarios. I have nothing against the members of the Scientology, my gripe lays at the feet of the “management” (who lies to, abuses and misleads Scientologists)

Mason – What is Scientology’s excuse for making up lies about people, sending private investigators to hound them, trying to frame critics for bomb threats?

Operation Freakout for example…

Yeah – that’s what they said in school — all the bs I had to hear because I was Jewish. It’s all a Jewish this and that… world economy … so don’t change the subject. It’s all hate and more hate and more hate … all pretending to want to protect people .. just like the catholics and the muslims — just the fanatics .. not the average guy in just the low lives with their holier than thou bs. tired of it!

yeah … I heard that before “it’s a cult” – yeah, so when Jews go together to defend themselves, that was wrong! while the good old boy christians were beating up on us because we didn’t believe like they did!! they made up lies and twisted things and said we were murderers … you pretend just like those christian fanatics!!

Mason, do you think the article is full of lies as well and that the writers are one-sided bigots? Or perhaps they were paid off by “big pharma”? I am curious what you think.

This is a great article and tells the true harms of the CoS. I’m super glad that the Rolling Stone magazine was able to write it.

Janet Reitman is probably the last writer who will get such unparalled access to the Church of Scientology, a group that has now become marginalized by Western Culture due to its decades of “getting even” with anyone who spoke against or made a joke about it. For example, Scientology had a formal written directive to destroy cartoonist Jim Barry’s career as he made one of his cartoon’s about Scientology. The directive discussed a campaign focused on getting his syndicator to fire him.

Scientology: Think the Jehovah’s Witnesses meets Mussolini, for the group is a smallish (

It’s scary how the Scientologists that troll the net for damage control can lie so easily while families are destroyed and people’s lives are ruined.

There’s something missing from them, but they strive to be other than human.

hey quit hatin
start celebratin

and make sure to pick up a copy of “kingdom come” by me the one and only jay-z. music to shake ur bootay to!!

You guys are liars.

Lightfield,
Lisa McPherson was murdered. Your cult covered it up. Look at the autopsy photos–the skin on her knuckles was rubbed off from banging on a door trying to get out. Pulmonary embolism, my ass.

Mason–taking the stance of a persecuted jew was a nice try, but we know you’re a $cientologist. There’s no good reason for you to defend these creeps unless you are one of them.

Scientology = human thought at its stupidest.

I’ll kill you all!!!!!! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahhahahahahah a!!!!!!!!!

I found this scientology article well reported granted I learned most of what I needed during a comparative religions course at my local Bible Institute and from a book called Kingdom of the Cults by the late Dr. Walter Martin. I am an evangelical Christian since 1991, and find the Scientology’s ways to promote “The Truth” inexcusable and not worthy of any organization calling itself a church. My own home Church Collects a tithe but doesn’t insist on it. Oh and The Truth Mr.Lightfield is not found in L. Ron Hubbard or Scientology. It is found in the historical being known as Jesus of Nazareth who said “I Am The Way, The Truth And The Life. No One Comes to The Father but through Me” (John 14:6)

You guys suck… no wait, that’s me.

LAUGHING. Untz is precious and does not realize how ludicrous his statements are. This guy is over the border and to the hills but his brain is still standing by the starting line. Evangelical Christians are so funny, pathetic and brainwashed. Pass the chalice, I feel a need for speed.

Rolling Stone – As a fellow writer, I can say Hubbard was on to something:
“Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion”
L. Ron Hubbard,Reader’s Digest reprint, May 1980, p.1

Congratulations on the well-written piece, Janet!

Janet Reitman did a fantastic job and Rolling Stone gets Kudos for supporting her and publishing this major work that has helped further expose Scientology and it’s deceptive practices.

I hope Rolling Stone wins the annual American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) award for this story. ” as you wrote:
“Contributing Editor Janet Reitman’s investigation of the Church of Scientology,a 13,000-word story that made noise in the February 23rd, 2006, issue. ”

It also brought a big ray of light to the hope family members have about the return of their loved one sback home, where Scientology does not want them to go and does everything it can to prevent that. Thank you

to the stone! yesterday…today…and tomorrow! the only thing aparently lacking from this great periodicle is the courage to open up a tad to the burgeoning horde of new, talented writers on the front, covering significant news and stories.

I,ve been a nazi for nearly 40 yaers , I did not know about the gas chambers. – right James Lightfield? , that is the right TR is it not?

SCIENTOLOGY!

The Church of Scientology has titanium cojones. You don’t like the way the organization runs? Who cares! You don’t like it. Walk away. You want to write your “warnings.” Go knock yourself out because it just doesn’t matter. You sing to the choir who sing the same song back to you — just a lot of noise and posturing.

Hey, Henry — read what I write about Untz — scroll down — … it’s the dark ages all over again with the ol’ Vatican excommunicating anyone who said the earth revolved around the earth ’cause EVERYONE knows that God created earth in 6 days and that was that — God’s saying, “Hey, dude, I did a real good job — the other billion hundred thousand galaxies with millions of stars and billions and billions of of planets — hey they’re just backdrops for us true christian believers (should I have capitalized that??). Yup, as God (capital G) said about the rest of the universe — was it in the psalms of Mathew or Jones or Silly Dick, “I figured give them something to look at when it’s night.”

lemme see … no the ol’ vatican (lower case “v” this time)said it was sun revolved around the earth — yes sir! that’s my baby. keep ‘em stupid and sucking the wine!! Hey you good ol’ Christians (capaital C), isn’t it some type of cannibalism to eat Christ’s body or is that alchemy –I mean eat his body – (maybe that’s the reason why alot of the Catholic priests do …. with young boys) and drink his blood. brainwashed stupid dumb – Christ would turn over in his …whatever it is to know what these idots have turned his word into.

What gives BoringStone magazine the right to criticize someone’s belief system?

BoringStone magazine is more fitting.

The article was slanted. What gives BoringStone Magazine and its milksops the right to criticize someone’s belief?

Allegations of brainwashing, forcing families apart, deception, and exploiting people’s faith and insecurities to earn large amounts of money gives “Boring Stone” (how clever!) the right to criticize, Leon Star.

christians (lower case ‘c’) are so cool … they sure know what the truth is cause if they don’t follow and accept and BELIEVE then they go to hell and burn in for all eternity — that’s kinda like a B movie … christians are great! it must be really cool toi have the Only Truth .. tha’s what Untz wrote. Untz duntz

christians are not brainwashed nosiree, Bob. Nope. of course … “you vill beleef vat it says in the bIbLe or u vil go to hell!” christians even call themsleves …get this, folks … ’sheep’ or is it ‘lambs’ .. baaaahhhh baaah

KD – I suspect you are a Scientologist right?

no … you a catholic or what? you get on your knees today praying to some spray painted mannequin … love it … ‘blind faith’ can’t rub two of your own thoughts together … never question just BELIEVE — or you’ll go to hell – ‘blind faith’ yup that’s the ticket … a bloody lot of sheep .. like I said before, pass the chalice…I have s need for speed! hey, Untz duntz, how’s the sunday sermon today?

i didn’t know Christians called themselves sheep… did anyone else??

never heard it? never heard ‘tending the flock’ it sure isn’t the flock of turkeys … though it fits better (!)… never saw one of those hook-end poles priests carry?? where did you think that came from? tennis??

KD, after reading your posts I have a question — what grade are you in?

Heres my opinion.

Heres my opinion.
1. Scientology is retarded
2. Tom Cruise is crazy
3. people that believe in this shit
are crazy.
4. people that dont know nothing about christianity shouldnt try to state facts about it because they look like a idiot.
5. everyone is entitled to their own beliefs.
6. People in Hollywood love to jump
on the bandwagon of everything

what you talking about, Benji? you’re saying God is a christian? he spoke to someone or lots of someones and they wrote a book. isn’t that like channeling?… the fad 10 – 15 years .. someone would say that jobojouugo was speaking through him.

seems to me this dude, christ Christ cHrIsT (hey, the last way looks good!)said something and a couple thousand years later you got a couple dozen your ‘only true way’ and one of god’s assistants is standing around a pearly gate and ….

yeah, rite … talk about dumbing down and making people afraid….”you wil beleeve vat I say or you vil burn in hell.”

like mom telling her kid the boogie man will get him … fear on one side and the pearly gate to ‘the true believers’ on the other … B-movie script

Rolling Stone, congratulations on the success of these wonderful articles!

It takes great integrity and intelligence to generate the quality pieces that you do.

KD… you say Christianity is a B-Movie script, but you forget one thing… Jesus was a real person, with real followers and was really nailed to a cross… Ten of his apostles died horrible deaths because they refused to denounce who Jesus was. Wouldn’t it make sense that if they were making up this entire story about resurections and miracles and all that that they would not have given their lives for it? Maybe its B Movie stuff to you, but maybe you should educate yourself before damning.

olepinky — maybe you should read what I wrote … never said anything against cHrIsT other than the dude taught something … and then some others wrote something that got to become THE WORD OF GOD (give me a break!) … now there are dozens of “Only Way” christian groups teaching their “Truth Nothing But the Truth” B-movie scripts.

painted mannequins you pray to … priests, swinging incense burners …hail mary’s and beads and all the B-movie rest

if you christians don’t BELIEVE you “go to hell” … brainwashed sheep

yeah, that’s right .. romans crucified Christ and some of his followers…. So? big deal… romans crucified people all the time … it was the roman way … but you “Only True Way” christians really made up for that … you burned people at the stake … and not too long ago, too … and you know what your ‘holy men’ … ‘men of god’ did?? these christians packed ice around the ‘non-believers’ chests to keep them alive longer while their feet and legs were barbequed …

spare me with your ‘poor apostles’ … how many lives have been ruined by good christians running this country … or sent to be killed for christian owned oil companies …

brainwashed hypocrites with your ‘blind faith’ and ‘believe or else’ preaching

Christianity has been followed for thousands of years and, some of its worst critics have had a change of heart.

Scientology, Mormonism are babies in age comparison, and are filled with gigantic holes in their doctrines…

Time will tell-truth will always win out….And endure…

Most Christians are willing to respect other religions-but most religions believe they are the “Only Way”…

Cults like Scientology, Mormonism, Jehovahas Witnesses are very modern and extremely controversial…

The RS article was very interesting and filled with information that I was not aware of about Scientology.

I still think Tom Cruise is a good actor, I just disagree with his beleif system…

And, I am not a Republican nor a Bush fan….

All Christians are not Neo-Cons…

I’ve hired many people who were Scientologists for sales jobs.

They ALL had a good work ethic. Some could sell and some couldn’t, like any group.

But I’d hire and trust a Scientologist over a person with no religion seven days a week.

Yeah, as much as the left likes to hate those church members one can trust a man who has the fear of GOD. It’s a beautiful tool, and had to be invented just to keep the masses in line!

“But I’d hire and trust a Scientologist over a person with no religion seven days a week.”

Then you are guilty of hiring discrimination and should be removed from your job. Discrimination is against the law.

You should also be fined back into the stone age just “learn” your dumb ass. Criminal.

I had been in this “Church” for 15 years before I got out. Janet’s article just stratches the surface of the underhanded dealings that actually go on. Sea Org members get paid 50 cents an hour – FACT. Dave Miscavige also a Sea Org member makes the same, but somehow has over 10 brand new person vehicles, 30 personal staff waiting on him hand and foot while he makes hundreds of people personal lives a living hell and ruins families and their relationships weekly. Half of the people supporting Scientology and what goes on have no clue what REALLY goes on behind closed doors. If they did , they would be running for the hills! Good job to Janet Reitman & Rolling Stone for starting to expose the chilling cult gone wrong and the families they break up.
Until Next Time…
BFG

Having been in Scientology for 15 years, I can say firsthand that Janet’s article was nothing but fact and acurate. In fact she just scratched the surface of underhanded dealings and the hardships that staff members face every day. The average Sea Org Member get paid 50 cents per hour – FACT. Dave Miscavige, also a Sea Org member has over 10 personal luxury vehicles and 30 staff waiting on him hand and foot. All the while he ruins lives and breaks up families with his mafia tactics and baseless RPF assignments. If Rolling Stone could come out with an article like this every year, it would only be short few years until there will be no more Scientology and no more David Miscavige to write about. Good job Janet and keep rolling out the great articles. You have no idea how many lives you saved with the last one.
Until Next Time…
BFG

Congratulations to Janet Reitman and RollingStone Magazine. May you print many, MANY follow-up stories about Scientology as told through the eyes of those who have been there and done that. Thanks for having the courage to shed journalistic light on a very dark corner of the world.

Keep it coming!

From the article:

“But some people, the officials admit, refuse to be handled. What happens to them? ‘Then I guess not believing in Scientology means more to them than not seeing their family,’ Davis says.”

Wow, they even admit right there in the interview that “disconnection” is real and still used.

Scientology breaks up friends and families. Try it – disagree with a Scientologist about their beliefs and there are two things that will happen, you will either be attacked and told that you have crimes (i.e. the baby rape screams from Jenna and Bodhi “Jimmy” Elfman) or you will be disconnected from by the Scientologist. It doesn’t matter how close you are as friends or family, these people are so brainwashed that they won’t even have second thoughts about ending their relationship with you.

Reminds me of what used to happen in 3rd grade… “Oh, you don’t believe me? Well then you’re not my friend anymore, so there!”