Talk:Scientology front groups
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Computer Ethics Institute
editThe article Computer Ethics Institute seems to be the only entry in the list that does not mention it is a front group. --Hob Gadling (talk) 12:22, 27 December 2018 (UTC)
Religious Freedom Watch and STAND League
editReligious Freedom Watch (religiousfreedomwatch.org & religiousfreedomwatch.com) were both Scientology-run dead-agenting websites; they are currently defunct. The new/current one is STAND (standleague.org).
They have similar content. (The RFW sites are available through the Wayback Machine.) I'm sure there are many pages with identical content.
One example: all three websites have a page for "False Experts", which list the same group of people:
- STAND: Rick Ross, Ted Patrick, Stephen Kent, Steven Hassan, Margaret Singer
- RWF .org: Ford Greene, Steven Hassan, Stephen Kent, Ted Patrick, Rick Ross, Margaret Singer, Hana Whitfield, Jerry Whitfield
- RFW .com: Ford Greene, Steven Hassan, Stephen Kent, Ted Patrick, Rick Ross, Margaret Singer, Hana Whitfield, Jerry Whitfield
Distribution Center, Inc.
edit@WeHoDavid: I am not sure what organization you think this is. If it is this "distribution center" [1] that scientology.org profiles, then I believe that's just the name of their printing facility, not an organization (Inc.). It should be the one mentioned at Bridge Publications (paragraph). Grorp (talk) 06:12, 17 May 2023 (UTC)
- Found it! Atack's book, page 142. I added it as a citation to the entry in the list. Grorp (talk) 02:50, 18 May 2023 (UTC)
Other links of interest for this topic
edit- https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/06/05/18504549.php
- These two are good for finding established dates. [1][2]
- https://lermanet.org/frontgroups.html
Foundation for a Slavery Free World
editSomeone said Foundation for a Slavery Free World was a Scientology front group by Marisol Nichols. A little digging... They are registered in California. Articles of incorporation list Kevin Burke and Rosser Cole, both OT VIII Scientologists. The 2019 document lists Marisol Nichols (OTVIII scientologist) as CEO, Sandra Lucas (OTVI scientologist). The latest 2023 filing adds Sabrina Zwers (Clear, scientologist). This URL says it's a front group, but it's not a reliable source.
Ever the defender of Scientology: [2] [3] [4] [5] and even Scientology getting into the hype [6].
Break out WISE consultant groups
editI suggest we break out the WISE consultant groups into their own section. They sell training and consulting services of Hubbard Management Tech, which is Scientology re-packaged as "secular". Their target customers/clients are other businesses, focusing on chiropractors, dentists and veterinarians. These companies are independently owned commercial Scientology-recruitment machines. These WISE consulting groups are all owned and operated by dedicated Scientologists whose purpose is getting people into Scientology, for which they are given a 10%-15% "field staff member" commission by the Church of Scientology. Well documented. My sugggestion for a breakout section is to separate the "directly operated by Scientology" groups from those they pay to do the same thing. Grorp (talk) 01:21, 28 September 2023 (UTC)
- Potential resource: Who are those WISE guys? A tipster helps us get some names of Scientology operatives By Tony Ortega December 14, 2015. Grorp (talk) 05:47, 28 September 2023 (UTC)
Commercial orgs put in new section
editI separated out from the main list the commercial organizations. There may be some others which I didn't move because I didn't immediately recognize them as separate from the Church of Scientology network.
What I did notice while working on this reorganization, is that all of this stuff is Scientology's "secular" stuff (Scientology techniques and writings repackaged to seem secular, but actually being the same techniques as used in a Church of Scientology). Also noticed that these are all run by Sea Org members -- either wholly staffed by Sea Org (such as ABLE), or managed and guided by Sea Org personnel (like Youth for Human Rights International) while getting unpaid "public" Scientologists to do all the legwork (undoubtedly prodded by Sea Org to accomplish certain goals and fulfil quotas, while requiring the public scientologists pay for materials such as Way to Happiness booklets).
I removed Akademie für Management und Kommunikation because their impressum page, translated, says "The editorial team of the ARD political magazine "Monitor" pointed out to us that there is an academy that operates under a similar name and that may be close to "Scientology". On this occasion, we expressly emphasize that we have no organizational connection with Scientology or a similar organization. We reject any cooperation with such institutions. We also declare that we do not work according to a method ("technology") from L. Ron Hubbard and do not teach it in our seminars."
I removed Peds-a-palooza because they are an end-user; a client of one of the management consultant companies.
Rosita Šorytė, ORLIR, FoRB
editCopying to here a 2021 note from another user on another talk page which seems more appropriately addressed to this topic. (Emphasis is mine.)
It's also worth noting that Rosita Šorytė, who is quoted in the Covid section, works for a Scientology front group (ORLIR, the International Observatory of Religious Liberty of Refugees), and the publishers of her book, FoRB.PRESS, are another Scientology front group, with the general mission of having Scientology recognized as a religion in Europe. Her apologia for Miscavige's Covid comments shouldn't be presented as a neutral source. 172.113.46.119 (talk) 00:04, 4 October 2021 (UTC)
I wasn't able to verify any of these as being connected to Scientology, yet, but here are some strings I found and wanted to record them here for later (or if anyone else wanting to research into this).
- Rosita Šorytė
- Looks like she founded and runs ORLIR; website is pretty basic, blog-like
- https://www.orlir.org/officers , President of ORLIR (on the board along with Massimo Introvigne of CESNUR)
- insource:"orlir.org"
- bio at https://freedomofbelief.net/scientific-committee/rosita-soryte
- FoRB & RT https://www.religiousfreedom.eu/
- Šorytė apologia paper: https://cesnur.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/tjoc_5_4_2_soryte.pdf
- press release: https://www.pressclub.be/press-releases/rosita-soryte-publishes-book-on-scientology-and-the-2020-pandemic-we-can-lift-this-world-while-quarantined-scientology-and-the-2020-pandemic/
- https://www.scientologyreligion.org/blog/we-can-lift-this-world-while-quarantined--scientology-and-the-2020-pandemic.html
- https://www.csw.org.uk/about.htm
- insource:"Christian Solidarity Worldwide" scientology (1)
- Claire Denman https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-denman-1238a8a0/?originalSubdomain=uk
- https://forbinfull.org/about/
- insource:"FoRB" scientology (2)
- https://forbinfull.org/2020/02/24/the-united-nations-human-rights-committee-unpacked/
My early evaluation is that Rosita Šorytė is definitely a Scientology apologist, and well tied in with Introvigne/CESNUR (known Scio apologist). I do know that the Church of Scientology has branched out into religious freedom NGOs (there are lots of them) and anything "human rights" or UN/EU. As to whether any of these organizations rise to the level of a Scn front group... not seeing the proof yet. ▶ I am Grorp ◀ 00:30, 28 December 2023 (UTC)