[cnn] Tom Cruise vs. 'South Park'?

Tom Cruise vs. 'South Park'?
Parker and Stone: 'Million-year war for Earth has just begun'

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Actor Tom Cruise threatened to boycott promotion of his upcoming Paramount Pictures film unless a sister cable TV network pulled a "South Park" rerun lampooning the Church of Scientology, industry sources said on Friday.

Representatives for Paramount and Cruise, a prominent Scientologist, denied he made any such threats or had anything to do with the Comedy Central network canceling plans to air a repeat of the "South Park" episode titled "Trapped in the Closet," on Wednesday.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of the crudely animated cartoon hit, issued a quirky statement, filled with references to Scientology and the science-fiction writings of church founder L. Ron Hubbard, suggesting Scientology was behind the scheduling change.

"So, Scientology, you have won THIS battle, but the million-year war for Earth has just begun," the pair wrote.

"Temporarily anozinizing our episode will NOT stop us from keeping Thetans forever trapped in your pitiful man-bodies. Curses and drat! You have obstructed us for now, but your feeble bid to save humanity will fail! Hail Xenu!!!"

Instead of the Tom Cruise episode, the network aired reruns of two "South Park" episodes featuring the character Chef, voiced by veteran soul singer Isaac Hayes, also a Scientologist, who quit the show earlier this week.

Comedy Central, which like Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc., declined comment on the rerun switch, other than to say: "In light of the events of earlier this week, we wanted to give Chef an appropriate tribute by airing two episodes he is most known for."

Two industry sources familiar with the situation told Reuters Comedy Central pulled the "Trapped in the Closet" episode from its "South Park" rerun rotation after Cruise threatened to cease promotion of his upcoming Paramount film, "Mission: Impossible III."

Cruise spokesman Paul Bloch said neither the actor nor his representatives "had anything to do" with the scheduling of "South Park" reruns and that Cruise had never said to anyone he would refuse to promote his film. Paramount spokeswoman Janet Hill denied any knowledge of such a threat.

"South Park," heading into its 10th season next week as one of Comedy Central's biggest hits, centers on the antics of four foul-mouthed fourth-graders in a small Colorado town.

Outlandish religious satire has been a mainstay of the show since its debut in 1997, poking fun at Catholics, Jews, Mormons, Buddhists and Muslims. One early episode featured a martial-arts duel between Jesus and Santa Claus over the true meaning of Christmas.

While Hayes cited the show's ridicule of religion generally as his reason for leaving the series, Stone said in a statement on Monday the soul singer was specifically upset about the "Trapped in the Closet" episode, which first aired last fall.

In it, the character named Stan scores so high on a Scientology test that church followers think he is the next L. Ron Hubbard. Cruise is depicted locking himself in Stan's closet and then refusing repeated requests by various characters to "come out of the closet," including John Travolta, who eventually joins Cruise in the closet.

Copyright 2006 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

 

Where are you Scientologists on Clutchfans? show yourself!

 

is scientology a religion? why do only rich people believe in it?
i believe its a tax scam.

 

its a tax scam. its too secretive. people who join are rich. i saw something on tv, that the further up you go, the more $$$$$$ it costs to take 'courses'.

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Cowen/essays/nytimes.html

The Shadowy Story Behind Scientology's Tax-Exempt Status
New York Times, 9 March 1997

By DOUGLAS FRANTZ

On Oct. 8, 1993, 10,000 cheering Scientologists thronged the Los Angeles Sports Arena to celebrate the most important milestone in the church's recent history: victory in its all-out war against the Internal Revenue Service.

For 25 years, IRS agents had branded Scientology a commercial enterprise and refused to give it the tax exemption granted to churches. The refusals had been upheld in every court. But that night the crowd learned of an astonishing turnaround. The IRS had granted tax exemptions to every Scientology entity in the United States.

"The war is over," David Miscavige, the church's leader, declared to tumultuous applause.

The landmark reversal shocked tax experts and saved the church tens of millions of dollars in taxes. More significantly, the decision was an invaluable public relations tool in Scientology's worldwide campaign for acceptance as a mainstream religion.

On the basis of the IRS ruling, the State Department formally criticized Germany for discriminating against Scientologists. The German government regards the organization as a business, not a tax-exempt religion, the very position maintained for 25 years by the U.S. government.

The full story of the turnabout by the IRS has remained hidden behind taxpayer privacy laws for nearly four years. But an examination by The New York Times found that the exemption followed a series of unusual internal IRS actions that came after an extraordinary campaign orchestrated by Scientology against the agency and people who work there. Among the findings of the review by The New York Times, based on more than 30 interviews and thousands of pages of public and internal church records, were these:

* Scientology's lawyers hired private investigators to dig into the private lives of IRS officials and to conduct surveillance operations to uncover potential vulnerabilities, according to interviews and documents. One investigator said he had interviewed tenants in buildings owned by three IRS officials, looking for housing code violations. He also said he had taken documents from an IRS conference and sent them to church officials and created a phony news bureau in Washington to gather information on church critics. The church also financed an organization of IRS whistle-blowers that attacked the agency publicly.

* The decision to negotiate with the church came after Fred T. Goldberg Jr., the commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service at the time, had an unusual meeting with Miscavige in 1991. Scientology's own version of what occurred offers a remarkable account of how the church leader walked into IRS headquarters without an appointment and got in to see Goldberg, the nation's top tax official. Miscavige offered to call a halt to Scientology's suits against the IRS in exchange for tax exemptions.

* After that meeting, Goldberg created a special committee to negotiate a settlement with Scientology outside normal agency procedures. When the committee determined that all Scientology entities should be exempt from taxes, IRS tax analysts were ordered to ignore the substantive issues in reviewing the decision, according to IRS memorandums and court files.

* The IRS refused to disclose any terms of the agreement, including whether the church was required to pay back taxes, contending that it was confidential taxpayer information. The agency has maintained that position in a lengthy court fight, and in rejecting a request for access by The New York Times under the Freedom of Information Act. But the position is in stark contrast to the agency's handling of some other church organizations. Both the Jimmy Swaggart Ministries and an affiliate of the Rev. Jerry Falwell were required by the IRS to disclose that they had paid back taxes in settling disputes in recent years.

 

dude its a comedy. its suppose to make fun of people's beliefs.

 

look id be scientogolist too if i were going to get rich or shelter tons of taxes if i were super rich.


http://www.factnet.org/headlines/give-away.htm

Scientology's history of tax fraud

In 1969, the IRS's Court of Claims issued a ruling on the case known as Founding Church of Scientology v. United States (188 Ct. C1. 490, 412 F. 2d 1197). The case involved the then mother church of Scientology. Scientology was denied religious tax-exempt status by the IRS because payments were disguised and a portion of Scientology's income was secretly going to Scientology's founder, L Ron Hubbard, and his family.

Fifteen years later in 1984, the IRS's tax court decided another Scientology case, the Church of Scientology of California v. Commissioner (104 S.Ct. 2136,2142 n.4). The case concerned the "new" Scientology mother church for the years 1970 through 1972. Again Scientology was denied tax-exempt status for covertly funneling money to Hubbard and his family, this time through dummy and sham corporations. This more recent asset-skimming during the 1970's involved money laundering through Panama and then through Swiss and other foreign bank accounts. In this decision, the court stated:

"OTC [Operation Transport Corp. Ltd.], was a sham corporation controlled by L Ron Hubbard and petitioner [CST] (p. 399)… Its board of directors lacked bona fides (p. 399)… To disguise these payments as debt repayment and to conceal the OTC sham a cover story was developed (p. 439)… In pursuit of the conspiracy, petitioner filed false tax returns, burglarized IRS offices, stole IRS documents, and harassed, delayed, and obstructed IRS agents. Petitioner gave false information to, and concealed relevant information from, the IRS about its corporate structure and relationship to OTC… CHURCH MEMBERS AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF THE HIERARCHY, NOT JUST ORDINARY CHURCH MEMBERS, PARTICIPATED IN THE CONSPIRACY (emphasis added, p. 505-506)." [From Church of Scientology v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 83 T.C. 381 Aff'd, 823 F.2d 9th Cir. (1987) cert. den. 486 U.S. 108 S. Ct. 1752 (1988). Also see Hernandez v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue.]

Scientology persisted in its quest for religious recognition and tax-exempt status. It filed again under a new, supposedly reformed mother church, the Church of Spiritual Technology (COST). This new corporate entity was formed in part from assets stripped from the Church of Scientology of California (the previous mother church already turned down by the IRS). On July 8, 1988 the IRS again denied tax exempt status in a ruling called the "Final Adverse Ruling." And again, new and intermediary dummy or shell corporations were found to have funneled money to L Ron Hubbard for his private benefit, until he died in 1986.

 

http://www.factnet.org/Scientology/celeb1.htm
What do the celebrities get from Scientology?

Scientology celebrities aren't endorsing Scientology just because they personally like it. They are getting a lot more than the average member gets. What they get is:

1.

Some free services and discounted services. In the HCO PL 1 January 1963 policy letter Hubbard says: "Central Orgs (organizations) are instructed to process selected celebrities who are just beyond or who are just coming into their prime. The pay is to be any contribution you would care to make if we have helped. No other pay is demanded."
2.

Commissions. In some cases they get commissions of ten percent of the take from people coming in the door.
3.

Special perks. One of the perks that celebrities get is a considerable amount of free use of Scientology's private country clubs and properties. The following recent revelations were made about typical celebrity treatment in a affidavit to Los Angeles lawyers by Andre Tabayoyon, a Scientologist for 21 years.

I, ANDRE TABAYOYON, declare as follows:

115. I witnessed money from various non profit Scientology organizations, and labor provided by various non profit Scientology organizations being used for the personal benefit of Miscavige, Tom Cruise, other Scientology senior executives and other Scientology celebrities (such as John Travolta, Chick Corea and Priscilla Presley).

117. Miscavige, other senior Scientologists and certain celebrities would also use the movie theater we constructed on the base to view first run movies provided to him by his acquaintances in the movie industry. The cost of this was easily $150,000. This cost does not include labor (again slave labor) or expensive film projection equipment.

118. During the 1980's, Miscavige befriended the actor Tom Cruise and they spend a lot of time together on the Hemet base. Their special chef, Sinar Parman, would prepare them fancy meals. Often they would hang out alone in the space designated for L. Ron Hubbard on the Clipper Ship we built in the desert. This space had a small kitchen, a little dining room, a little bar and a bed. They also had the exclusive use of the officers lounge. On other occasions Miscavige and Cruise would work out in the expensive gym we built for exclusive and restricted use.

No one else was allowed to talk to Tom Cruise when he was on the base. One time one of the gardeners spoke to him and this caused a major flap on the base. At Gold, Miscavige is known by his initials DM and Tom Cruise by his initials TC. From the late 1980's until I left the Gold, Tom

Cruise was provided a personal and exclusive apartment and storage facilities by the Scientology organization and at Scientology's expense. Tom Cruise kept two Yamaha motorcycles, a Mercedes Benz automobile and a large motor home at Gold. These were stored in what used to be Hubbard's garage and parking lot. Obviously, Miscavige and Cruise have developed a special relationship. One is a young world-domineering celebrity. The other is a young domineering cult leader who seeks to 'clear' the world and to rule it according to Scientology beliefs and practices.

119. When Tom Cruise got married to Nicole Kidman, they and David Miscavige went to a Colorado Ski Resort for the marriage ceremony. A Sea Org staffer (Sinar Parman) was taken along to do personal cooking for Tom Cruise and Miscavige at the expense of Scientology not for profit religious organizations. This left only 3 cooks at Gold to cook for 800 people three times a day.

120. I personally participated in the construction of an apartment at the Gold base, using extensive funds from various non profit Scientology religious organizations, for the personal and exclusive use of Tom Cruise. This was done on the orders of David Miscavige. Even though Miscavige has claimed to be Chairman of the Board of RTC, here he is directing the expenditure of CSI money and the deployment of CSI labor -- both paid and slave. Other apartment cottages were built for the use of John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Edgar Winters, Priscilla Presley and other Scientology celebrities who are carefully prevented from finding out the real truth about the Scientology organization. The labor used to construct Tom Cruise's apartment was provided by Gold, a division of CSI, and persons from a myriad of Scientology organizations serving time in the RPF.

The RPF (Rehabilitation Project Force) is the Scientology gulag or concentration camp. Using RPF'ers to renovate and reconstruct Tom Cruise's personal and exclusive apartment at the Scientology Gold base is equivalent to the use of slave labor for Tom Cruise's benefit. The Tom Cruise apartment at the Gold base is located at the golf course end of the Gold base, closest to State Street. When Tom Cruise visits the Gold base, and stays in his personal apartment, he is cared for by a Sea Org steward.

121. We also had to renovate the Tom Cruise apartment at the Hemet Base after it was damaged by a mud slide. The repairs had to be performed on an emergency basis. Both the Gold crew and the RPF'ers were placed on extended hours to restore the apartment. Again, Tom Cruise was benefiting from the use of what is essentially prison slave labor being worked almost around the clock.

122. Tom Cruise also enjoyed use of facilities constructed on the Gold base that were not available to any Scientology staff except the senior most Scientologists on the base, particularly Miscavige and his lieutenants. For example, I saw Tom Cruise use the exercise room which was off limits to at least 98 percent of the staff. Tom Cruise also had unrestricted access to the Ship which has a sauna, Jacuzzi and a large Olympic sized swimming pool. With regard to the Miscavige/Cruise gym this was built in conjunction with the estates facility in approx. 1989.

The gym building cost approx. $150,000 (again using slave labor) and contains a complete lineup of the most modern weight training equipment. It is one of the most incredible gyms imaginable and is for the exclusive use of Tom Cruise, David Miscavige and other specially and specifically approved by him. It also has an incredible shower area.

123. To assure that Tom Cruise's stays at the Hemet base were enjoyable, special provisions were made for him and restrictions were imposed on the staff at the Hemet base. Millions of Church dollars were spent so that millionaire Tom Cruise could regularly visit the Scientology base and be friends with Miscavige. For example, Tom Cruise received special meal services, special room services and the Hemet base staff was restricted in its access to Hemet base facilities. Indeed, a girl by the name of Jennie Matsamura was assigned to take care of him and his renovated cottage. The Hemet base staff was barred from going where Tom Cruise might be present. Construction and renovation work that was done on the base for Tom Cruise's benefit often had to be torn up and redone because the coloring was slightly off or there were a few inches of group that didn't quite match in color. Once we had to pour a concrete walkway so that Tom Cruise would not have to walk on the desert soil. Before the concrete dried it rained. The concrete was spoiled. Miscavige went into a fury over that.

124. On one occasion, prior to a Cruise/Kidman visit, Miscavige decided to redo the meadow in beautiful flowers; Tens of thousands of dollars were spent on the project so that Cruise and Kidman could romp there. However, Miscavige inspected the project and didn't like it. So the whole meadow was plowed up, destroyed, re-plowed and sown with plain grass...

131. In 1989/1990 we also constructed a tennis court at Gold for the exclusive list of Celebrities and Miscavige. Non profit Scientology religious organization funds were used for this inurement project. The tennis court cost at least $200,000 to build. The rubber coating alone, on the tennis court, cost $80,000. Then there was the landscaping and rose garden around the tennis court.

I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America and of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed in Los Angeles, California this 5th day of March, 1994.

Andre Tabayoyon

The IRS made the following comment in its tax ruling during the tax status appeal of Scientology in U. S. Claims Court Number 581-88T, Ruling of June 22nd, 29th, 1992:

It is not unlike a commercial business strategically giving away services in an effort to increase sales by obtaining a celebrity endorsement."
4.

The Faustian advantage. The story of Faust is about a person who gives up its soul and spirit to the devil in order to obtain worldly success and power. Here we have a Satanic cult wooing celebrities who are already highly vulnerable to fame, attention and money. One can not help but wonder if the celebrities who know Scientology's secrets have in a some conscious or unconscious way made the Faustian bargain.
5.

Celebrities also get into Scientology because other celebrities already did, and because some behind the scenes people are working to get them lured in.
6.

People whether celebrities or not often join a cult when they are in a "transition state," like starting in college, getting divorced, getting fired, starting new job, etc. And actors are always in transition: after having completed an assignment, they have fears: Will the film, musical or play be a success?