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What Scientology Paid $8 Million To Hide

villagevoice.com — With an hour to spare, Hubbard’s minions settle a debt they vowed never to pay

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P8triot1 64 days ago

414 diggs
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DCJoeDogaswell, on 07/05/2008, -0/+29I think what we all want, except the sci-***** of course, is that the "religion" have their tax-exempt status revoke the world over, but I'll settle for the USA.
specialK16, on 07/05/2008, -0/+20Dugg for hilarious pic.
- SuperWinner, on 07/06/2008, -0/+3Gayest love boat captain ever.
- relic180, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1It's 'Stomach School, with Crazy Legs and Eater X'.
  Probably the dopest collection of proper nouns to ever assemble in one place.
basye, on 07/05/2008, -0/+20"Tom, come out of the closet!"
Rotzooi, on 07/06/2008, -0/+16A long read, but satisfying for Anonymous.
- upick, on 07/06/2008, -0/+4Agreed this is one long article... I have to bookmark and read later.... its like 50 pages long~
- rentmitchum, on 07/06/2008, -1/+2Never read a book, trust me you won't like it.
  
  *sigh*
- relic180, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1Actually, the first page is the whole article. If you click on the page numbers at the bottom of the first page, it's the same content as the first page but sliced up into 15 smaller pages.
  
  It's big, but not THAT big.
meshman, on 07/06/2008, -0/+12"1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15"

Jesus Christ!
- steven401, on 07/06/2008, -0/+5The link submitted actually links to the full article so it isn't split up onto 15 pages.
  
  Nonetheless, it's a long article.
- FizixMan, on 07/06/2008, -1/+4"1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15"
  
  Lafayette Ronald Hubbard!
  
  (fixed)
crystalblue69, on 07/06/2008, -0/+7why is this not popular?
stfucupcake, on 07/06/2008, -0/+5Anonymous has scifags on the run.
isparadiselost, on 07/06/2008, -0/+5You're telling me 114 people read that entire article? It's a short novel.

Can one of you sum it up and provide a brief synopsis?
- rentmitchum, on 07/06/2008, -0/+3Some guy went into Scientology. He describes his experience, and it speaks of a legal battle over it ruining his life. This I obtained with scanning for main points. I read the first like 4 parts, but I'm already reading a book right now and playing FF Tactics A2.. I don't need to read the entire article on something I'm only marginally interested in, so skimming through it sufficed. If I missed any main points, tell me.
- smcgrath, on 07/06/2008, -0/+13Lawrence Wollersheim, age 18, signs up for Scientology in 1969. He moves up the Scientology rankings until he reaches OT III (Scientology ranking tier). That's when they tell you you're jam packed with alien spirits from a galactic war. This freaks him out, and he has a psychotic break. He gets past OT III and finds out he's not done yet, another level, called NOTs causes a third psychotic break where he contemplates suicide. After 11 years he finally decides to leave.
  
  After he leaves, he gets shunned, and as a result his business collapses (most of his employees and customers were Scientologists, whom quit and reneged on payments). He sued the church in 1979 for $25 million and was awarded $30 million. In 1989 the amount was reduced to $2.5 million by an appellate court. The Church of Scientology was determined not to pay, which held true for 16 years. Through legal badgering, loopholes, and appeals the church danced around in various ways to prevent payment to Wollersheim. Five separate cases were filled over the years, but suddenly the Church coughed up the money in May 9th 2002, a check for $8.7 million arrived (the $2.5 million plus interest) hours before a new case was about to be opened by Wollersheim and his lawyers.
  
  The new case was structured in a manor which threatened to lay out the corporate structure of the church of Scientology. The principal method Scientology used to prevent paying Wollersheim was to claim that the entity he had sued, the Church of Scientology California (CSC) had gone broke and could not pay him. The case would show that Scientology was an overarching umbrella organization of which the CSC was a part of and hence would have to pay what was due. This would put it in danger of loosing its Tax exempt status which it had regained in 1993, after loosing it back in 1967.
  
  Lots of good details and the author talks about the structure of the organization, and how they won back their tax exempt status, recruiting methods, and has updates embedded in the story. It was slated to be published back in 2002, but the paper that was going to run it, suddenly went under. Well written, I'd recommend taking the time to read it all.
gulpy, on 07/06/2008, -3/+4Man, what they don't cover up using money they get buried in 15 pages of text wall. Can't we just get a simple concise article?
- oldhick, on 07/06/2008, -1/+2Yeah cause who really needs details and context... Shame on you.
- relic180, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1Read comments above. The link sends you to the full article, which can also be viewed on 15 short pages. It's not as big as you think it is.
four5, on 07/06/2008, -1/+8When you click on the link that's the whole story, there aren't fifteen more pages after that.
btschul, on 07/06/2008, -0/+7How does an organization like this exist in this day and age? Are people really this stupid?
- acrodev, on 07/06/2008, -0/+4Are you referring to the CoS or the IRS?
  - btschul, on 07/06/2008, -1/+4Both
  - relic180, on 07/07/2008, -0/+4Or the Catholic Church? Or Fox News? Or Jehovah's Witnesses? Or the KluKluxKlan?
- grated4life, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2This garbage exists in 75% of hollywood..Do a Google search and you will see how many alien-zapping nut cases are in your favorite summer blockbuster movies.
Ransack, on 07/07/2008, -10/+2Scientology is a crazy religion like 1000 other crazy religions. Leave them alone, they dont hurt anyone except the idiots who join them.
- Osirus1156, on 07/07/2008, -1/+4But they do hurt others outside their "religion".
- Hetman, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1Hmm can someone say suicide bombers, inqusition, witch triales, crusades, Child molesting priests, etc. I can go on and on but it is pointless to.
toetagger, on 07/07/2008, -1/+4I think of Richard Clark's words to us regarding 911, "... your government failed you". The gov should 1) make them pay taxes. I mean, look at the criminal methods they used to coerce the IRS into caving! 2) Investigate and prosecute all crimes committed. 3) Use RICO to disband them. We have religious freedom, but we can't allow criminal enterprises to label themselves as a religion. Our politicians have NO WILL to ever do the right thing. If its difficult to resist, they just cave. ***** shame. COS is more dangerous than Al Qaeda.
- Hetman, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1Can you say Catholicism. I have never seen the government prosecute a child molesting priest. I am not saying all priest are bad. I am saying the government allows all religions a free pass. Why would they treat scientology any different?
sonar1, on 07/07/2008, -1/+3i liked reading about the part where he went crazy. I'd like to think thats the stage tom cruise is on.

btw, way to many pages. someone gimme the synopsis
scinvention, on 07/07/2008, -0/+4It took me a good half-hour to read that article; it was worth every minute.
Simpl3x, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1Definitely worth the read. Pity it's a TL;DR for most. Short synopsis is the guy went crazy, sued them, they claimed to be broke and spent way too much trying to avoid paying him since it meant accepting their stuff is bad for you, and eventually ended up paying him just in time to avoid having themselves gutted and their entrails fed to the Internet Hate Machine for lunch.
Hetman, on 07/07/2008, -2/+4I am completly sick of people talking about scientology. The title could easily read the 10 billion dollar debt and 1 billions people's unneeded deaths caused by Christianity/islam that they refused to admit. Religion is wrong not for what it teaches people, but how it indoctrinates people into believing ***** lies.
- nstlgc, on 07/07/2008, -2/+1This has nothing to do with religion. Wipe the ***** out of your eyes.
- Hetman, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2Please explain to me how this has nothing to do with religion? One fairy tale version or reality, is the same as the next fairy tale version of reality to me.
jacksonator, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2Scientology just sucks. John Travolta and Tom Cruise are ***** actors anyway.
morgino, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1Kinda sucks you know we wont see anymore crazy tom cruise videos cause you know they have put the lockdown on them. I hope at some point his wife figures out that the husband is a nut and writes a tell all book.
I do think Tom Cruise is a nice guy, just nice in an insane way.
P8triot1, on 07/07/2008, -0/+4This will never make "popular". Some sort of Scientology troll system is pushing it down in Digg numbers. I've read about this kind of thing but did not believe it,. Now I believe it.
- upick, on 07/08/2008, -0/+3There's something wrong with Religion because people will pay and kill to keep the darkest secrets...
  
  Hence I suggest everyone bookmark this page and keep commenting!
  
  Its an amazing article that's for sure
upick, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3Article is down!
Now that's a coincidence... Or shall I say taken down for a specific reason?
SoyJames, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3This it?
http://www.villagevoice.com/2008-06-24/news/Scient ...
- upick, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1LOL, they moved the link... well that's smart... now someone digg it again... hmmmmmm interesting.....
  errrrr I gotta go... and digg some stuff talk to you all later
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What Scientology Paid $8 Million To Hide

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