Debra cook, a former Church of Scientology executive, sent out more than 12,000 emails to current and former church members criticizing the current leaders of the church for “heavy-handed” fundraising practices.

Cook, who was a top Scientology executive in Clearwater, Florida, urges current members to stop giving money to the church unless it can be justified specifically by the writings of L. Ron Hubbard. Cook says that after Hubbard’s death, current leader David Miscavige has abused the church’s fundraising policies.

Cook says that the church is hoarding ”well in excess of a billion dollars” but still continues to encourage people to donate money. Cook says that the church uses aggressive tactics, like telling members that their “spiritual progress” will be slowed if they do not donate.

The Church of Scientology said in a statement:

“Ms. Cook’s opinions reflect a small, ignorant and unenlightened view of the world of Scientology today. They are not shared by the thousands of Scientologists who are overjoyed by our 27 new Churches and what they mean to the communities they serve.”

Spokeswoman Karin Pouw also said that Mrs. Cook was not a “prominent Scientology insider.” According to Pouw, Cook is a “disgruntled defector” who hasn’t been involved with the church since she left in 2007.

Pouw also brought out the heavy-handed insults and called Cook a squirrel.

Pouw told USA Today:

“The Church refers to individuals such as Ms. Cook as a squirrel. A squirrel is someone who alters the Scripture; a heretic.”

Do you think Mrs. Cook is a squirrel? Or is the Church of Scientology truly a money making machine?

Church of Scientology Has Cash Reserve of More Than $1 Billion, Says Former Member is a post from: The Inquisitr

Valeska Paris is a member of the Church of Scientology, but apparently, it isn’t by choice. Paris claims that she was held against her will on the Scientology cruise ship “Freewind” for 12-years.

Paris says that she was brought onto the cruise ship when she was 17-years-old by Scientology leader David Miscavige after Paris’ mother tried to leave the church. In an interview with ABC, Paris says that she was taking to the cruise ship for a “two week” trip, but that she was kept on board for more than a decade.

Paris said:

“I was basically hauled in and told that my mum had attacked the church and that I needed to disconnect from her because she was suppressive. He (Miscavige) decided the ship, and I found out two hours before my plane left, I was woken up in the morning and I was sent to the ship for “two weeks.”

The Daily Mail reports that Paris’ mother had publicly denounced Scientology on French TV after her ex-husband Albert Jaquier committed suicide. Jaquier, a self-made millionaire, blamed the church for swindling him out of his fortune before his death.

Paris, who now lives in Australia, says that she was never allowed to leave the ship without an escort and that she couldn’t flea because the church had taken her passport. Paris also claims that the Church forced her to work long hours at the bottom of the ship.

Paris said:

“They take your passport when you go on the ship and you’re in the middle of an island. So it’s a bit hard [to escape] and by that time I was 18, I’d been in Scientology my whole life, it’s not like I knew how to escape.”

The Church of Scientology released a statement saying that Paris’ accusations are absolutely false. The statement reads:

“She certainly wasn’t “forced” to be there. She was also never forced to perform labour in the engine room. The Freewinds is a wonderful place, as even Valeska said on numerous occasions. Her allegation that she could only leave the ship with an escort is totally false.”

According to the Daily Mail, the Freewinds Cruise Ship is used by the Church of Scientology to deliver its highest level counselling course known as Operating Thetan Level VIII.

Here’s the video of Valeska Paris talking about her experience on the Scientology Cruise Ship “Freewind” on ABC.

Do you believe Paris’ story? Was she really held captive on the Scientology cruise ship?

Woman Held Hostage on Scientology Cruise Ship ‘Freewind’ for 12-Years [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rumors have been circulating around the internet since Friday that Lindsay Lohan was getting ready to join the Church of Scientology, lured in by none other than active church member and actor John Travolta, however her friends are now stating in no uncertain terms that she has no plans to make such a move.

Sources close to TMZ say Lohan has “no plans whatsoever” to join the Church and that she hasn’t even been asked to attend the church by current members.

It should be noted that she also isn’t speaking out against the church and plans to stay Catholic just as she was raised, In fact insiders say she is an avid practitioner of the Catholic faith.

That’s too bad, her type of crazy would be a great fit for the church, perhaps her and Tom Cruise could run around jumping up and down on couches together and babbling about nothing.

Lindsay Lohan Denies Rumors She’s Converting To Scientology is a post from: The Inquisitr

In what The Register is calling an exclusive they are reporting that Wikipedia has banned any and all contributions from all the IPs owned or operated by the Church of Scientology and its minions associates. This decision by Wikipedia’s Arbitration Committee in a vote of 10 – 0 (1 abstention) will take effect immediately.

While Wikipedia has been known for previous banning, some silly and some not so stupid, people who have been rather exuberant in their editing of the so-called facts in Wikipedia entries this is the first time they have officially barred edits from a high profile organization.

According to evidence turned up by admins in this long-running Wikiland court case, multiple editors have been "openly editing [Scientology-related articles] from Church of Scientology equipment and apparently coordinating their activities." Leaning on the famed WikiScanner, countless news stories have discussed the editing of Scientology articles from Scientology IPs, and some site admins are concerned this is "damaging Wikipedia’s reputation for neutrality."

One admin tells The Reg that policing edits from Scientology machines has been particularly difficult because myriad editors sit behind a small number of IPs and, for some reason, the address of each editor is constantly changing. This prevents admins from determining whether a single editor is using multiple Wikipedia accounts to game the system. In Wikiland, such sockpuppeting is not allowed.

I wonder if this means well see another case of Tom Cruise couch jumping as he rants against Wikipedia and shouts censroship.

Church of Scientology kicked off of Wikipedia is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Church of Scientology is currently on trial in France for Fraud.

Scientology is not recognized as a religion or registered charity in France so the church will not receive any protection from the French government.

Scientology Sued for $7mil in France

They are being sued for the equivalent of $7 million USD in a class action lawsuit stemming from a complaint by a woman in 1998 that she was coerced into paying more than $33,000 for such things as books and literature, purification vitamins, spa sessions, an electronic meter to measure her spiritual progress and other items.

Since the first complaint, hundreds of other ‘victims’ have come forward with similar claims, some even saying that Scientology members called them at home, harassed them and even went so far as to solicit money from them to pay their personal expenses and cosign for bank loans.

Another charge stemming from the lawsuit is being made by French authorities saying they were “illegally practicing as pharmacists” regarding the Scientologists claims about the benefits and effects of vitamins they sold.

It will be interesting to watch this situation as it progresses.

[Source: PerezHilton.com]

Church of Scientology on Trial for Fraud in France is a post from: The Inquisitr

Britney has had an incredible couple of weeks, she has got her body back, completed a promotional tour of Europe, released a doco about her life, her latest album is selling like hotcakes, and then to ensure we don’t get lulled into a false sense of security, she shows that she is still a little nuts. Apparently she is considering joining the Church of Scientology.

According to the U.K.’s Heat Magazine, Britney recently told a friend she was open to “new things” including Scientology.

“I have met Katie a few times, so I called her up and just started asking questions about Scientology.

“Katie told me she wasn’t so sure about it at first either, but once Tom explained it to her and she read the books and took some classes, it really started to work for her. Then Tom wanted to talk to me about it, so I did. He was nice and answered all my questions and sent me books.”

Sure he did. How about being open to something new, like being normal.

What will Madonna say? Weren’t you supposed to be considering Kabbalah?

Britney Spears Proves She is Crazy: Thinking of Joining Church of Scientology is a post from: The Inquisitr