1/23/08; two interesting things going on

1/23/08

There are two things happening right now of interest. One is the leaked Tom Cruise video wherein Tom says that as a Scientologist he has to stop at a car accident to help, because Scientologists are the only ones that know what to do (paraphrased). Lisa McPherson was in a car accident. Scientologists came to the hospital where the ambulance had taken her, demanded that she not see a psychiatrist, took her to room 174 of their Ft. Harrison Hotel, held her against her will until she was dead (according to Mike Rinder), then drove her to a hospital 45 minutes away to a Scientologist doctor. Is THAT the kind of “help” you’re talking about Tom?

The second thing is a group of Scientologists in Italy who were recently arrested for holding a woman against her will. This is not the second time such strangeness has happened. It’s one of multiple times:

1955: Scientologists sued for holding crazy people in house

1990; Scientology family in Calfornia allegedly holds a woman against her will

1997: woman runs screaming from same hotel where Lisa was held

Scientology husband holds his own wife in 2002

Lynn Farney, high ranking official of Scientology’s legal office, told the Clearwater police concerning whether psychotic members should be held at the Ft. Harrison hotel, “They were never supposed to be handled at the Fort Harrison, and that’s been reiterated. They’re not supposed to be there, they’re supposed to be somewhere out in the countryside or something like that.” [source]

There are other cases as well. This is policy. In fact, Scientologists now sign a waiver that essentially allows Scientology to hold them against their will!