I read several interesting stories this morning. The first is that Eddie Long is finally stepping down to “focus on his family”…. I’m glad to hear this, just hope it isn’t too little too late, since his wife recently filed for divorce.
Megachurch’s future uncertain after pastor leaves
The second interesting story is about a Scientologist, Debbie Cook ( a member in good standing) who recently sent out an email to 12,000 people about what she considered things that were wrong with the organization.
Scientologists in feud over leader
The Church of Scientology has been rocked by accusations from one of its former senior executives that the religion is becoming a hollow moneymaking machine run by an autocratic ruler.
Debbie Cook, a former executive in Scientology’s “Sea Organisation” – its clergy – wrote a New Year’s email to 12,000 Church members detailing her concerns.
Ms Cook, 50, accused David Miscavige, the chairman, of turning the religion into a fund-raising machine and dismantling the mechanisms in place to prevent too much individual control. She also accused Mr Miscavige, 51, of straying away from the principles of L. Ron Hubbard, the science fiction author who founded the Church in the 1950s.
Followers of Scientology believe that humans are immortal beings who have forgotten their true nature, and should embark on a course of “spiritual rehabilitation”. More controversially, they also believe that an intergalactic despot once brought billions of prisoners to earth in a fleet of spacecraft, and that the key teachings are not revealed until the faithful have paid thousands of dollars to the Church.
“We all have a stake in this,” she wrote. “It is simply not possible to read the LRH references and not see the alterations and violations that are currently occurring.
“I dedicated my entire adult life to supporting LRH and the application of LRH technology, and if I ever had to look LRH in the eye I wouldn’t be able to say I did everything I could to Keep Scientology Working if I didn’t do something about it now.”
See also: http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26415/scientology-money
