ON March 4 we revealed that one of Scientology’s many front organisations, the Citizen’s Commission on Human Rights, was to have a presence at the Lib Dem conference in Birmingham.
Well, now they are not.
According to a message posted today by Hartley Patterson on the anti-Scientology blog, WhyWeProtest, the CCHR has been given the royal order of the boot.
Patterson said he had just received word from the conference team, saying:
Thank you for contacting us about the CCHR coming to our party conference. I can confirm that this organisation will no longer be having an exhibition stand at this weekend’s event.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
March 9th, 2010 at 7:33 pm
Once this dishonest cover was removed I never thought the Lib Dems would let them get away with it. Congratulations to those who allowed the fresh air of exposure on the fetid stench arising from the dead corpse of Scientology. This outfit has has much life in it as a zombie.
March 9th, 2010 at 7:41 pm
Quite right too. Scary lunatics masquerading as scary religious lunatics. It’s a horrible double whammy that quite frankly has my blood simmering every time I walk past their ‘shop’ on the way home from work. Why do they always look so bland sitting in there with their ‘personality test machines’ and 3 billion copies of L Ron Hubbard books and no customers? Especially when you know that really they are all deviant freaks who thought joining up was going to he a bit radical and cool, but now are too scared to tell their ‘church’ they’ve had enough and would really like all their money back, please. I’m amazed a mainstream political party would ever entertain the idea of letting these nutjobs anywhere near their conference.
March 9th, 2010 at 8:12 pm
Had ‘em outta there like greased lightning!
March 9th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
Short and to the point. Rare in politics.
March 9th, 2010 at 8:46 pm
They’re not the only ones whose organization exists for the sole purpose of selling their books: the Jehovah’s Witlesses are the same. Yet no responsible person seems prepared to act on this, and they still get all the privileges afforded to “religions”, including tax breaks!
March 9th, 2010 at 10:08 pm
A little Jehovas Witness lady visits me from time to time. Looks simple in her raincoat, but no matter how curt I am (“Sorry, I don’t share your delusions” etc) she always says meekly “Thank you for coming to the door!”. Bless.
March 9th, 2010 at 10:59 pm
Good point about the JW’s they are very similar to scientology in many ways, though scientology are a bit more pro active with their ‘fair game’ policy. Both of these cults split families up, and masquerade as champions of the poor and needy.
I would say from my experience in the cult that a lot of the people in the ‘truth’ as they call it are fairly decent and well meaning types. Also a lot of them don’t enjoy bothering people with the unsolicited visits, but it’s a requirement of the religion and one will be dreadfully browbeaten and guilt tripped for not putting in enough hours on the ministry.
There is some more info on the various scandals within the JW cult over at silentlambs.org and I agree it’d be nice to see the JWs given the Anonymous treatment once scientology is no more.
March 10th, 2010 at 12:19 am
I can’t vouch for the veracity of this, but it is similar to what I have read elsewhere:
Jerry in Chicago wrote at 2009-03-01 02:32:43
The Watchtower corp. encouraged its members to build up the organization by their donated money and donated time- even the workers in their printing plants work for free, just a small monthly stipend. Then if they are sued, like the class action suits in California and Oregon, for mishandling pedophile cases within the organization, they can sell off properties that volunteers worked on and paid for- all tax free. When they are done with a volunteer worker, perhaps after he has given decades of full-time service to the Brooklyn printery, they get rid of him and offer him nothing.
Also, little known- at every assembly and convention, the elders are encouraged to earmark a bunch of money for the worldwide corporation and then announce (before all the money is tabulated) that there is a deficit so far from the costs of “this convention” or “this assembly.” The deficit is caused by their earmarking enough money that hasn’t even been collected or counted yet. This way, the members will hear that there is a several thousand dollar deficit and reach into their pockets for more donations.
Further, each year, WT has a meeting part at the kingdom hall where they remind everyone how they can donate money.
Further, the corporation pays no money to the circuit overseers and district overseers, but passes the cost on to the congregations.
All this going for them, and they are still running out of money. They must not have God’s blessings anymore, or else that wicked Satan and his lawsuits is the problem.
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Jeh.....oney-1.htm
March 10th, 2010 at 12:57 am
The sad fact – the removal of the CCHR exhibition stand would probably reduce the crowd to single figures. But that is still a good turn out for the Lib/Dems.
March 10th, 2010 at 1:20 am
Thanks anonymous!
March 10th, 2010 at 5:04 am
@barriejohn
I can vouch for everything you just posted there as I have personally seen it happening, I also had several close friends who worked at the Bethel for peanuts.
Another one of the watchtower scams is to insist that local congregations purchase their kingdom halls, and only use a mortgage from the watchtower society even if they get better rates elsewhere. Here is where it gets really kinky, they not only mortgage the property for the local congregation ie loan them their own money back at interest, they also make them sign over the deeds to the watchtower corporation too!
At the big assemblies once a year they would always without fail have a shortfall of ‘donations’, and there would be a special needs talk on the last day entitled something like ‘Are you a Christlike giver?’ with a side serving of ‘Worldly riches do they really bring happiness?’ etc. Then at every exit would be a gauntlet of contribution boxes guarded by Ned Flanderesque jobsworths in dayglo yellow tabards.
I could go on all day about the corrupt pyramid scam that is the watchtower corporation, but just to conclude I’d like to say that scamming people is the least of the evils going on there. Covering up child abuse, splitting up families and encouraging people with life threatening illness to martyr themselves by refusing blood being the more sickening.
March 10th, 2010 at 6:53 am
After years away the Jehovah’s Witnesses turned up again a few weeks ago. I threw them out in the rude way I use only for them; “No sects allowed here! get off my property!”. This is the way to keep them from coming back.
Anyway, they wanted to sell me a Watchtower, and I thought, it would be nice to have some counter-indoctrination literature to give to them next time. But it has to be free and not too big, so I can print some and keep them handy.
Somebody suggest something… Remember they are quite dear ladies and I don’t want to offend them, I just want to subvert and destroy JW.
March 10th, 2010 at 7:59 am
They wouldn’t read anything you gave them, OurSally, because they are FORBIDDEN to read anything critical of Watchtower doctrine!
When I was a Christian I read “Thirty Years A Watchtower Slave”, by W J Schnell, which is a highly regarded account of life as a Witness. (The title comes from their translation of Matt 24: 45 – “Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics?”)
There is a brief outline of some of the points made here:
http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/2080.htm
More here:
http://www.jwfacts.com/watchto.....-slave.php
http://www.jehovahs-witness.ne.....OWER-SALES
http://www.jehovahs-witness.ne.....he-iceberg
http://www.freeminds.org/life-.....tness.html
And some light relief!
http://www.cartoonstock.com/di.....nesses.asp
March 10th, 2010 at 8:48 am
OurSally
The “Jackie Jumpers”, as they’re known by us, usually give us a miss. Some years ago I bought a rather unholy numberplate for one of our vehicles and we sometimes see them conferring at the top of our drive having seen it.
On the odd occasion they do knock, if forewarned of their approach I like to answer the door bare-chested (I am male BTW), smelling of alcohol would be a bonus but I’ve not managed that yet.
I politely but firmly state I have no interest in religion, usually as I’m closing the door like Victor Meldrew.
I found this link that contains some useful advice and amusing anecdotes about “getting rid”.
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/fo.....p=19102991
March 10th, 2010 at 10:31 am
What a great suggestion there, Broadsword: tell them you’re an ex-member and they won’t bother you again because they’re frobidden to speak to you! Why didn’t I think of that?
March 10th, 2010 at 6:58 pm
Yes telling them you are ‘disfellowshipped’ works especially if you say it was for ‘apostasy’ you are very very unlikely to get any further visits after using those two words.