Australian's smell the coffee on Scientology's criminal avarice

SHOOT: A true altruistic belief system doesn't ask for your money or even your loyalty. It simply offers to share truth with you, and allows you to check whether this view of truth resonates. I think the closest faith/system to this that I have encountered is Buddhism. Anything that involves giving money, from business to anything else, has a motive that is probably about enriching the self. Oh and not with morals, or truth - let's be clear. By enrichment I'm talking about money. Of course if you volunteer to give money without being asked, that's real spiritualism at work.

clipped from www.timeslive.co.za Xenophon on Tuesday branded the secretive group, whose high-profile adherents include Tom Cruise and John Travolta, a ”criminal organisation” and called for a review of its tax-exempt status as a religion. “Scientology is not a religious organisation, it is a criminal organisation that hides behind its so-called religious beliefs,” Xenophon told parliament. “The letters received by me which were written by former followers in Australia contain extensive allegations of crimes and abuses that are truly shocking,” he added. “These victims of Scientology claim it is an abusive, manipulative and violent organisation.” The Church said Xenophon’s claims were “fascistic” and an ”outrageous abuse of parliamentary privilege”, referring to his protection from libel laws. Last month, French judges fined the group almost one million dollars for defrauding vulnerable followers.