Secrets of Scientology - BBC1 Panorama - youtube

[Guest guest]

Secrets of Scientology - youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMDGikPmEyw

>> Sweeney revisits the Church of Scientology > http://news.bbc.co.uk/panorama/hi/front_page/newsid_9032000/9032278.stm> <http://news.bbc.co.uk/panorama/hi/front_page/newsid_9032000/9032278.stm\> >> In 2007, while investigating the Church of Scientology for Panorama,> reporter Sweeney had a dramatic on-camera confrontation with a> church spokesman named Tommy . The church was accusing the reporter> of bias and it attempted to stop the documentary from being broadcast -> a campaign backed by Scientology A-lister Travolta. Sweeney has> returned to investigate the church again.> > > > > > Pushing Sweeney's 'bigot' button> > I never meant to shout.> > Strangers had been on my tail. Scientologist Tommy and his> colleague Mike Rinder - my handlers - had been on my case, day in and> day out.> > They had taken me to an exhibit called 'Psychiatry: Industry of Death'> on Hollywood Boulevard, where a Scientologist told me psychiatrists set> up the Holocaust. I feared I was being brain-washed.> > And then I lost it - big time.> > The Church of Scientology put out my impression of an exploding tomato> onto the internet which millions had a laugh at courtesy of YouTube.> > It was no way for me to behave. I apologised then and I apologise now.> > Shortly after that programme, Scientology & Me, aired in 2007, I> received a tip-off that Mike Rinder had left the church.> > Three years on and my old adversary came to me to shed some light on> what had been going on behind the scenes in the days leading up to my> infamous meltdown and screaming session in Los Angeles.> > Now an independent Scientologist, Mike is critical of the church and of> its leader Miscavige, who was actor Tom Cruise's best man at his> wedding to Holmes.> > Mike, 55, wanted to meet and talk about his life in the church, which he> was a part of from the age of six.> > 'Freed'> > He began by telling me about the moment when he decided to get out: "I> knew as I was walking out - that was the last time I would ever talk to> my wife, my children, the rest of my family. I couldn't take it anymore.> When I left I felt I had been freed."> > > [http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif] FIND OUT MORE Panorama,> BBC One Secrets of Scientology Tuesday, 9pm> Mike was subjected to what the church calls disconnection. His wife,> daughter, son, brother and mother have cut him out of their lives.> > Mike was one of a number of people we met who effectively grew up in the> church and have since left.> > Those who speak out say they can be deemed by the church to be enemies> and subjected to disconnection - when all ties to family and friends are> severed.> > > [ Sweeney filming in America] The Panorama team were followed> while filming in America> The church acknowledges some Scientologists choose to sever> communications with family members who leave. The church says it is a> fundamental human right to cease communication with someone. It adds> disconnection is used against expelled members and those who attack the> church.> > During our investigation in 2007, black SUVs with tinted windows> appeared to be following our team as we carried out interviews. A> mystery man who we suspected was from the church also appeared to be> keeping tabs on us at breakfast in our LA hotel each morning.> > At the time, I put my suspicions of being under surveillance to Tommy> . He responded: "I don't know what you're talking about. It seems> to me you're getting a bit paranoid."> > Mike Rinder has since given me a different answer.> > "Was I being paranoid?" I asked him when we met again.> > "No, you were being followed. No doubt whatsoever," he told me.> > Mike said he should know as it was he and Tommy who were doing> some of the covert surveillance.> > Mike said he and Tommy were reporting back on our movements to > Miscavige's office every few minutes or so.> > Through its UK lawyers, the firm -Ruck, the church deny spying on> us and reject Mike Rinder's version of events dating back to 2007.> > Celebrity members> > The public face of the church is as a force for good, perhaps most> familiar to the public for its offers of free stress tests at its> shopfront centres in major cities.> > Its star members include Tom Cruise, Travolta, Kirstie Alley and> tte .> > When I interviewed Alley in 2007 and put the question to her that many> believe Scientology to be a sinister brain-washing cult, she replied:> "Would you ever sit with a Jew and tell them that their religion is a> cult?"> > When I asked the same question of tte , star of the film> Natural Born Killers, she replied: "Some people say women are really> stupid and shouldn't have the vote."> > > > Panorama Archive: Scientology and Me> > The church said it is a religion and is recognised as such in America> for tax purposes. It denies emphatically that it is a cult and has> maintained that I am biased.> > Many ex-Scientologists disagree with the celebrities who defend the> church.> > Amy Scobee, now in her mid-40s, is a former member who said she believes> it is "a dangerous cult". She was a member from the age of 14, much of> her time in the church was spent as part of what is known as the Sea Org> - the highly-disciplined wing that effectively runs the church's day to> day operations.> > Private details> > When Ms Scobee left and began to criticise Miscavige and the> church, intimate details of her sex life before she was married leaked> to the St sburg Times in Florida newspaper.> > The church admits sending the newspaper material about Ms Scobee's sex> life, but said it was acceptable because the information was contained> in an affidavit signed by her. They say it was not confidential.> > Ms Scobee said she had disclosed those details but she believed they> would remain confidential.> > During our time in America for the latest Panorama, we were once again> followed by people filming us, this time more openly than before. When> we approached the people with cameras to ask them who they were with and> what they were doing, they refused to answer our questions.> > That is why I was somewhat grateful to Scientology's UK lawyers at> -Ruck when they sent the BBC photographs of me hugging Amy Scobee> at the end of a long and at times harrowing series of interviews about> her experiences.> > The photographs were meant to demonstrate to my bosses at the BBC, once> again, that I must be biased against the church as I was overly familiar> with its critics.> > This was, oddly enough, welcome proof that the people who had been> following and filming us in the States were indeed working for the> Church of Scientology. As Mike Rinder had said, I was not being paranoid> - I was being followed.> > The Secrets of Scientology: A Panorama Special, BBC One, Tuesday, 28> September at 2100BST and then available in the UK on the BBC iPlayer.> <http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/>>