In the News...

Supreme Court Declines To Hear Can Appeal Of Deprogramming Ruling

WASHINGTON, D.C. (EP) - An anti-cult organization can be held partially responsible for the forced "deprogramming" of an 18-year-old man. On March 22 the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the Cult Awareness Network (CAN), which said it should not be held responsible for violating the civil rights of Jason Scott. Scott was abducted and taken to a deprogrammer recommended to his mother by a CAN volunteer.

The case began in 1991 when Kathy Tonkin called a Seattle community hotline seeking help in getting her three sons to leave the Life Tabernacle Church. The hotline call was answered by Shirley Landa, who was also Washington State's contact for CAN. Landa allegedly referred Tonkin to Rick Ross, who was known to perform involuntary deprogrammings.
Ross and other defendants reportedly abducted Scott and held him for five days of debate over church teachings. Scott escaped and sued Ross, CAN and other defendants, saying he had been deprived of his civil rights. A jury awarded Scott nearly $5 million in damages.

CAN contested the ruling, arguing that Landa was not acting as its agent when she referred Scott's mother to Ross. CAN has a policy of not referring people to deprogrammers. But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit disagreed, ruling that CAN has a "vicarious liability" for the actions of its volunteers.

Editor's Note: The Cult Awareness Network is now operated by members of the Church of Scientology.

Scientology And FACTNet Settle Copyright Battle

Denver, Colo. - On March 19, the Church of Scientology International reached a settlement in U.S. district court with the Colorado-based anti-cult organization FACTNet <www.factnet.org>, Lawrence Wollersheim, and Robert Penny.
FACTNet (Fight Against Coercive Tactics Network), is a non-profit organization founded by Wollersheim, a former Scientologist. The organization is permanently enjoined to pay Scientology $1 million if FACTNet is found guilty of copyright violation of church-owned documents in the future.

The agreement also gives the Church of Scientology possession of about 2,000 unpublished and copyrighted documents. Many of the writings are considered controversial and top-secret. Scientologists hope to prevent future computer access to the confidential documents via the Newsgroup, alt.religion.scientology, and other unauthorized distribution. Wollersheim promised to return "all unpublished documents as well as copies, notes, summaries, computer disks, and media that contain material about the so-called Advanced Technology of the Scientology religion."

According to reporter Courtney Macavinta, "The case dates back to 1995 when the church, through its nonprofit subsidiary Bridge Publications, won a court order to seize and search FACTNet computers for copyrighted materials based on comments Wollersheim had made online. After reviewing much of the material, Bridge Publications filed claims charging that FACTNet had illegally copied 1,914 church documents" ("Scientologists settle legal battle," CNET News.com, March 30, 1999; See related story, "Scientology's Internet Wars," The Watchman Expositor, Vol. 13, No. 2, 1996, p. 3).

The FACTNet is one chapter in Scientology's longest-standing digital copyright wars. Wollersheim or FACTNet have been sued four times in related disputes. The courts dismissed three earlier claims.

In 1980 Wollersheim received a $30 million judgement against Scientology for damages resulting from his own experience as a member. Wollersheim is still battling to collect that judgement, which was later reduced to $2.5 million.
Amazon Reverses Decision To Ban Anti-Scientology Book

The powerful internet-based bookseller, Amazon <www.amazon.com> had second thoughts about banning the controversial critique of Scientology, A Piece of Blue Sky, by Jon Atack. Amazon first stopped selling the book worldwide after learning last February that there was an injunction against selling the book in the United Kingdom.

A report of the ban by Wired News <www.wired.com> resulted in a firestorm of protest from freedom of speech advocates and Scientology critics. Under a barrage of criticism, Amazon reversed itself offering the controversial book everywhere except in the UK.

Excite News reports, "The courts had ruled in 1995 that the book, authored by a British writer named Jon Atack, contained defamatory language. Amazon spokesman Bill Curry said the bookseller withdrew the book after it learned this past February of the cease and desist order that was in place in the U.K. 'In February, with that information, it seemed like the right decision at the time,' he said. Curry added, 'current information in the last couple of days fortunately caused us to take a closer look'" (http://www.excite.com/computers_and_internet/tech_news/zdnet/?article=/news/19990520/2263095.inp).

Court Upholds Krishna Airport Ban

WASHINGTON, D.C. (EP) - The Court refused to reconsider its 1992 ruling that permits airports to exclude solicitors from passenger terminals.

The Court rejected a Hare Krishna challenge to a ban on literature sales and donation solicitations at passenger terminals.

Judge Dismisses Procter & Gamble Defamation Lawsuit Against Amway

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (EP) - A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit accusing the Amway Corporation and a Utah salesman of defamation for spreading rumors linking Procter & Gamble with the Church of Satan.

Procter & Gamble has been battling the Satanism rumors since at least 1981, and has filed lawsuits against individuals who spread such rumors. In 1995 the company sued Amway distributor Randy L. Haugen for allegedly spreading rumors about Procter & Gamble through an Amway voice mail system. Amway was later added to the lawsuit as a defendant.

On March 26, U.S. District Judge Dale A. Kimball in Salt Lake dismissed the suit, ruling the rumors of Satanist ties did not constitute defamation, and that Procter & Gamble had failed to show specific damages.

Procter & Gamble will appeal the Utah ruling, and is continuing with a similar lawsuit in Houston, also involving Amway.
"We have been fighting this outrageous rumor for over 15 years. Throughout that time, people associated with Amway have played a role," said Procter & Gamble General Counsel James J. Johnson. "Over the years we have had numerous incidents linking the spread of the rumor to Amway distributors."

Johnson added, "Amway competes directly with Procter & Gamble in a number of our product lines, and some Amway distributors have used this rumor to encourage a consumer boycott of P&G products."

One of the most prevalent rumors linking Procter & Gamble to Satanism says that the company's former corporate logo, a bearded man on the moon with stars, was a satanic symbol. Another rumor says that the president of Procter & Gamble appeared on television with Phil Donahue to promote devil worship; no such program was ever taped.

Procter & Gamble has answered almost 200,000 calls and letters about these false rumors. Prominent religious leaders and organizations have condemned the rumors, including the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Jerry Falwell, the Southern Baptist Convention and the National Association of Evangelicals.

Russia Approves Jehovah's Witnesses

MOSCOW, Russia (EP) - In early May, Russia's Justice Ministry approved the Jehovah's Witnesses' re-registration as a religious organization. Religious-rights attorney Lauren Homer told the Internet news service Religion Today, "This is a good development for religious freedom in Russia. It sounds like the system worked and, in this case, the rule of law has triumphed." A 1997 law requires most religious groups in Russia to seek official recognition. Critics of the law feared it would be used to persecute religious minorities and strengthen the grip of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Episcopal Bishop Spong Calls Christ's Atoning Death "Barbaric"

NEWARK, N.Y. (EP) - The always controversial Episcopal leader John Shelby Spong condemns the Christian doctrine of the atoning death of Christ in the May issue of The Voice, the official publication of the Diocese of Newark. Spong writes, "The view of the cross as the sacrifice for the sins of the world is a barbaric idea based on a primitive concept of God that must be dismissed." He adds, "[To say] Jesus died for my sins, when analyzed is all but nonsensical" and describes the "blood that Jesus shed on the cross" as a "fetish." Spong concludes, "...unless we expose the barbaric quality of this ancient interpretation of the meaning of Jesus' death and of the God who was said to have required it and remove this spiritual monstrosity from the Christian enterprise then Christianity has no future."

U.S. Military Permits Neo-Pagan Witchcraft

WASHINGTON, D.C. (EP) - The U.S. Army is facilitating the practice of Wicca, a neo-pagan form of witchcraft, on military bases, according to a report in the Austin American-Statesman.

The newspaper reported that Fort Hood, the largest U.S. Army base, is also the center of Wiccan practice in the military. Three years ago, Wicca was recognized by the Department of Defense as a legitimate religion, deserving the same status as Christianity, Judaism or Islam. A spokesman for the military chaplaincy program said the Army is obligated to make provisions for the religious needs of its members without passing judgment on their beliefs.

Wiccans claim some 50,000 adherents in the U.S. At least 20 witches, and perhaps as many as 100, reportedly take part in covens at Fort Hood. Chaplains oversee pagan ceremonies on at least five military bases in the U.S., according to news reports.

Lt. Col. Donald Troyer, a Seventh-day Adventist chaplain, has been ordered to take responsibility for Fort Hood's coven.
Wiccans do not require a chapel. Instead, they hold festivals around a burning bonfire, with special observances during the vernal and autumnal equinox. Wiccans insist that they do not worship Satan or participate in human or animal sacrifice.

Paula Jones Denies Psychic Connection

BEEBE, Ark. (EP) - Paula Jones, who accused President Clinton of sexual harassment, is not going to be working for a psychic hot-line, despite media reports to the contrary. "I have not, nor will I, do anything with a psychic hot line," said Jones, who objects to such things because of her Christian religious beliefs.

Unitarians to Defy Boy Scouts

NEW YORK, N.Y. (EP) - The Unitarian Universalist Church says it will defy an order from the Boy Scouts of America to stop giving religious awards to Unitarian scouts. The Scouts object to pro-homosexual wording in the Unitarian handbook for the religious award. "If they intend to start ripping badges off scout uniforms when our children earn a religious award, they are going to look very peculiar," John Buehrens, president of the 250,000-member denomination, told the Boston Globe.