I had not heard of Leah Remini before but she is apparently quite a well-known actress. But more interestingly, she is a former member of the Church of Scientology. She apparently left after being interrogated for questioning leader David Miscavige’s authoritarian rule and is supposedly planning to write a memoir detailing her experiences.
Given that Scientology places such a high premium on recruiting and fostering celebrities, especially in the film and TV business (in fact that seems to be their business model), such defections have to hurt.
Tony Ortega, who has been investigating Scientology for a long time, says that Remini used to be friends with Miscavige’s wife Shelly and has filed a missing persons report on her because she has apparently not been seen in public for six years. [UPDATE: Ortega writes that the LAPD calls the missing person’s report ‘unfounded’ because they have made contact with Shelley.] (I wrote about Ortega’s past revelations about Scientology last year.)
While all religions have cult-like elements, Scientology is clearly one of the leaders. I hope Remini does decide to go public about her experiences.
If people click the link in “filed a missing persons report”, they can get more details. And if they scroll down to just below the main part of that post, there’s a familiar face.
Is PZ Myers going to be interviewed there or something?
I’ve been involved in demonstrations with Anonymous in my local area in the past, I was inspired to after a scientologist who was dating my boyfriend’s father tried to convert his troubled 16 year old sister. That woman zero’d in on the most vulnerable member of the family like a damn sexual predator, targeting her from the moment they were introduced. I was disturbed by it and decided to join demonstrations after reading some of the damning evidence on the web. I quit some time a go due to various reasons but I still keep ip to date on whats happening. This is the most significant thing I’ve seen yet, the whereabouts of Shelley has been a big thing with detractors and protesters and has reportedly led to a lot of cult members to start questioning what they hav been told. Scientology cannot die or start changing for the better until Miscavige is gone and it’s been thought for a while the secret of where Shelley is could lead to his downfall. At the very least Im glad someone finally reported her missing, the truth really needs to come out whatever it is.
I believe the link below explains the connection, which is via Ortega and has moe to do with mutual abhorrence of Scientology™.
http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2013/08/09/scientologys-views-on-evolution/
Argh, this should have been a comment on post #1.