Scientology is a Criminal Organization: Australian MP

Another courageous politician has come out and frankly called Scientology a criminal organization. Senator Xenophon, a Member of Parliment in Australia, yesterday said the Church of Scientology hides behind its "religious beliefs," and implied that their beliefs are fake anyway.

"Do you want Australian tax exemptions to be supporting an organisation that coerces its followers into having abortions? Do you want to be supporting an organisation that defrauds, that blackmails, that falsely imprisons?"

Mr. Xenophone went on to say he'd received "extensive" allegations of criminal activity from his constituents, some of which were truly shocking.

There are many things that churches do that I don't like (and many things that I heartily approve of), but Scientology stands out from all other religions: It appears to me to be dishonest to the core. I also believe it was created purely for economic gain, that its founders and current leadership don't believe any of their own drivel that they call religion, but push it on innocents who are looking for answers to life's difficult questions and are easily victimized.

Its founder, L. Ron Hubbard, was a weirdo, intelligent and yet unbalanced. Have you ever watched this video, made in 1968 on his ship? He made the mistake of granting an interview, which has turned into one of the biggest publicity nightmares scientiologists ever faced. Just watch this video and you'll have no more doubts about the origins of scientology.

Scientology Conviction: Why Not Here in the USA Too?

Finally, Scientology is convicted in France for its crimes: The courts say it's just a good old con game. The French courts saw through their religion ruse. According to the French court's verdict, they're guilty of organized fraud, and the court fined the church $600,000 for its criminal activities. For the first time, the church itself (in addition to a number of individuals) has been convicted of a crime.

This was only possible in France because Scientology couldn't hide behind the special protection that religion gets in the United States. Here, the church can claim all sorts of immunity from discovery, and when prosecutors do go after the Scientologists, they scream persecution. But in France, Scientology is classified as a cult, not a religion.

This conviction leads me to wonder: Why should churches get any special consideration under United States law? If the Constitution says Congress shall make "no law" about religion, doesn't that mean churches have to be treated just like any other nonprofit organization?

Let's say that some other non-profit like Greenpeace, or maybe Mother's Against Drunk Driving, were tricking their members into turning over thousands of dollars to participate in purification rituals and to buy vitamins that can be bought over the counter for a few dollars. Wouldn't we expect the government to press charges? Why is it that by claiming to be a religion, the criminal nature of such fraudulent activities evaporates?

If religion is to be truly free of government interference, then they should be subject to the exact same laws as any other organization. Their books should be subject to auditing, their communications should be subject to discovery during legal proceedings, and their leaders should be accountable in the eyes of the law.

After all, if the services they offer are legitimate, they shouldn't be afraid of scrutiny. Only hucksters need to hide.