Fort Harrison Hotel $40 Million Renovation Completed

On Feb. 18, 2009, I reported the ongoing renovation work at the Fort Harrison luxury hotel in Clearwater.

Saturday night, the Church of Scientology held a reception, attended by many local bigwigs, to celebrate its reopening.

The CoS says that now that this huge project is completed, they will focus on finishing the "Super Power" building for which they are being fined $250 a day for not bringing it up to code.

Scientology church gives Clearwater's Fort Harrison Hotel a $40M makeover - St. Petersburg Times

"A 12,000-crystal chandelier for the ballroom.

The Church of Scientology is reopening its lavishly renovated Fort Harrison Hotel [...]

Now attention turns to Scientology's enormous building across the street that has sat vacant and unfinished for six years, mystifying the public.

The Flag Building, nicknamed the "Super Power" building, is a seven-story, 380,000-square-foot empty shell that encompasses a whole city block. The church gets fined $250 a day for not bringing it up to code, and the fines now total $245,000.

Numerous promises to finish the building have come and gone, but church officials insist that this time it really is next on their to-do list. [...]

Built in 1927 as Clearwater's first skyscraper, the hotel was a local focal point for decades. [...]

The church has gained greater acceptance over the last 15 years or so, to the point where many local bigwigs felt comfortable attending a reception at the hotel Saturday night. [...]

Now the redesigned lobby opens up to the third floor, where a pedestrian bridge crosses Fort Harrison Avenue to the unfinished Flag Building. [...]

The hotel has three restaurants — none of which will be open to the public, despite what the church previously said. The ballroom won't be rented out for weddings either. [...]

Construction on the Flag Building began in 1999, and it was supposed to open in 2002. Work stopped in 2003 and has been at a standstill ever since. [...]

"We look forward to them getting it complete," said Mayor Frank Hibbard.

In 2006, Clearwater started fining Scientology $250 a day for failing to bring its building up to code. When it's finally finished, the city's code enforcement board will review the fines and decide whether to forgive any.[...]

Scientology's explanation for the unfinished building: It repeatedly redesigned the interior, and it embarked on an international building spree. Recently in Clearwater, it has chosen to work on the Oak Cove and Fort Harrison hotels instead. [...]

The building is nicknamed "Super Power" because it will be the only place in the world where a highly classified Scientology program called Super Power will be offered. Its upper floors will house special equipment that church officials say is designed to heighten one's perceptions. [...]

The Fort Harrison Hotel's renovation will increase Scientology's property tax bill. Two-thirds of the church's property in Clearwater is tax-exempt because it's used for religious purposes, but Scientology's hotels and restaurants are taxed. Last year Scientology was charged nearly $800,000 in taxes on nearly $108 million worth of Pinellas County property. [...]'

Nashville New Building to Be Ready before Summer

On June 29, 2008, I reported on the Church of Scientology Religious Trust having bought the Fall School Business Center on 8th Avenue in Nashville, with the comment from the reporter that "Haynes says it was very important that the historic building be well preserved by its new owners, and looking at other historic buildings purchased by the Church of Scientology around the country, he was convinced there buildings character would remain intact."

On Feb. 17, 2009 I reported about Shallownimous spending their Valentine day in inept protests about the opening of this new location, with the comment from the reporter that "Whatever the Scientologists are up to in there, at least they aren’t the ones standing on street corners, wearing creepy masks and offering cake to strangers."

The article below points to the fact that renovations are under way and opening is expected before summer. However, it also says it will be a "celebrity centre" and not an "ideal org" pointing to the possibility that the CoS may retain it's current building even after the renovation are completed.

The article also mentions criticism from one Todd Lake, who works for a Christian university, and the response by the CoS' representative.

Scientology grows with new center | www.tennessean.com | The Tennessean

"The Church of Scientology is expanding in Nashville, opening what the religion calls a "celebrity centre" at the historic Fall School Business Center on 8th Avenue South and Chestnut Street.

Renovations are under way at the 36,000 square-foot building, with an opening expected before summer" [...]

""It's not worse because it's Scientology, or better because it's Christian," she said. "Who is to say who is better or who's not? The point with the money is what is being done with it. We reinvest in our community."" [...]

Related blog entries: -NashvilleOrg-

Interview

This is my answer to an interview I received by email:

-What drew you to Scientology in the first place?

The fact that they offered a "technique" that seemed to answer my spiritual quest.

-What was it about Scientology that eventually made you decide to leave?

The fact that the "technique" did not seem to work, at least not at the spiritual level, and the realization of the conditioning and cultic aspects of Scientology

-What are the good things about Scientology?

It offers a seemingly coherent and comprehensive system that is not based on belief but on "principles" that are supposed to work. At the lower level, Scientology can be very effective and offer a way of life by which people can find meaning. See the many celebrities who swear by Scientology. (These just are the more visible members, but many others non-celebrity members share the same enthusiasm.) Here are just some of the later instances I blogged about:

http://anotherlookatscientology2.blogspot.com/2009/02/scientology-goes-nascar.html
http://anotherlookatscientology2.blogspot.com/2009/02/persia-white.html
http://anotherlookatscientology2.blogspot.com/2009/01/seeing-whole-field-at-once.html
http://anotherlookatscientology2.blogspot.com/2009/01/juliette-lewis-promotes-scientology.html
http://anotherlookatscientology2.blogspot.com/2009/01/catherine-bell.html
http://anotherlookatscientology2.blogspot.com/2008/12/jerry-seinfeld-on-scientology.html

-What are the things about Scientology that people should have genuine concerns about?

The constant pressure to "produce" more or "study" more. The fact that Scientology can't deliver what it promises at higher level. Its cultic aspect. The dependency people can develop towards Scientology. The expensive prices.

-Did you ever come across any openly gay Scientologists in your time as a member?

No.

-Did you ever encounter other Scientologists expressing homophobic opinions or acting in a homophobic manner?

No.

-Do you think claims by a number of individuals that Church staff told them Scientology practices could change them from being gay to straight are true?

Yes.

-If so, do you think these are indicative of a commonly held belief that Scientology has the power to do such a thing, or that these instances simply reflect the personal views of the particular Scientologists they were interacting with?

A commonly held belief that Scientology has the power to do such a thing. However, homosexuality is not a "hot" topic in Scientology like it is, for example, with fundamentalists. Most Scientologists will consider this a matter of individual choice.

-What do you think of the more extreme claims made by the anonymous movement and what are your concerns and criticisms of the group?

These more extreme claims are childish and for the most part untrue. My main criticism with the anonymous movement is that they failed to bring the critical movement to the "next level" and, instead, just became the "old guard" themselves.

-What do you think of claims that the Church uses underhanded methods to silence and destroy its critics?

It reflects the cultish aspect of the Church. However, I believe it mostly is a thing of the past.

-Do you think the Church's responses to criticism has been constructive in general and what might be a better approach?

The Church's responses to criticism has not always been constructive but I found they have behaved of late. In particular they behaved with dignity for the most part in the face of sometimes vicious attacks from members of anonymous. In some cases Anonymous have had to distort Scientologists response to provocation beyond belief to try and make them look like the bad guys.

I blogged an example (especially relevant here since it is gay-related) of both civilized behavior on the part of Scientologists in the face of provocation and gross distortion from Anonymous to try and make them look like the bad guys at http://anotherlookatscientology2.blogspot.com/2008/07/another-example-of-gross-propaganda-on.html

-Do you think those in leadership roles in the Church are, in general, sincerely motivated?

Definitely. Just look at the latest (extremely) high-ranking defector Marty Rathbun. The guy still believes in Scientology even though he is now out of the Church. I blogged about him at http://anotherlookatscientology2.blogspot.com/2009/02/marty-rathbun.html and http://anotherlookatscientology2.blogspot.com/2009/02/marty-rathbun-sees-through-web.html

Administrative Court of Berlin Orders Immediate Removal of Anti-Scientology Posters

On Jan 24, 2009 I blogged about the anti-Scientology posters in front of the CoS in Berlin: "Another act of discrimination towards Scientology by the German authorities. Government agencies have no business using public resources to take side in controversies regarding matters of personal beliefs."

I am pleased to see that this was exactly the opinion of the Administrative Court of Berlin who declared that the district of Berlin violated their duty of neutrality. The Court ordered the immediate removal of the posters.

I personally think there also should be administrative penalties towards those responsible for this obvious act of discrimination.

Anti-Scientology Plakataktion der Stadt Berlin mußte umgehend entfernt werden | Politik - Gesellschaft & Soziales - OA News: "Das Gericht führt weiterhin aus, dass die Bezirksverwaltung ihre Neutralitätspflicht verletzt hat und eine derartige Aktion gesetzlich nicht gerechtfertigt ist. Das Berliner Verwaltungsgericht ordnete die sofortige Entfernung von Anti-Scientology Propaganda vor der Scientology Kirche Berlin an."


Related posts: -Berlin_Posters-

On Hold

I am currently applying for a new job and at the same time moving house and country, so you can imagine I am very busy and unable to update this blog or even follow the news. I will resume this blog on a daily basis as soon as my situation gets stabilized again. Thanks.

According to Law, What Is a Religion ?

An interesting, food for thought article, but one that of course is not going to resolve the question. As it rightly wrote: "It turns out the debate over the definition of religion is as old as history itself and the debate has gone on for ages." As for me, I kind of like the Leo Pfeffer's definition: "...if you believe in it, it is a religion or perhaps 'the' religion; and if you do not care one way or another about it, it is a sect; but if you fear and hate it, it is a cult."

In full:

According to Law, What Is a Religion ? - Digital Journal: Your News Network:

In preparing a story about the religions of Natchitoches, Louisiana several days ago, I checked out a book on Mormons. I told the clerk I was writing about religions. “That’s not one,” she said, “It’s a cult. They don’t believe like us."

Well, first of all the word “us” I thought interesting since the young woman neither knows me or my beliefs. But no matter, I smiled and said, “What makes you think so?” The sweet-faced femme with Southern drawl said simply, “I just know, don’t you.” “Actually,” I said, “I don’t.”

So what makes a cult these days, I wondered and decided to find out. Besides it wasn’t long ago that Mitt Romney, a Mormon who ran in the Presidential primaries, went on television to defend his faith as a viable religion.

Just about every major religion has been a cult at one time or another. Christianity was considered different enough to cause consternation to Romans and Jews alike. The divisions of Christianity have called one another cults as well, but what makes a religion legal?

The Church of Scientology is recognized over most of the world as a religion, although some may define it as cult. Believers use this fact to recruit. Others consider it a cult with a nefarious character. That’s true of other groups as well. For example, the Branch Davidians were controversial both before and after David Koresh.

The Internal Revenue Service gives this as definition :

a distinct legal existence,
a recognized creed and form of worship,
a definite and distinct ecclesiastical government,
a formal code of doctrine and discipline
a distinct religious history,
a membership not associated with any other church or denomination,
an organization of ordained ministers,
ordained ministers selected after completing prescribed studies,
a literature of its own,
established places of worship,
regular congregations,
regular religious services,
Sunday schools for religious instruction of the young,
school for the preparation of its ministers.

But some wonder if this set of criteria of the IRS is accurate and if it might just be biased and flawed. One writer observes that it distinctly favors high or formal churches with large congregations. Unitarians and Quakers often meet informally in homes or small places. Some groups use a selection from different religious literature. Some have history that is aligned with other groups, but hve such different characters that they couldn’t be associated with the same group, such as the Quakers and Baptists who left the Church of England at the same time and have a shared history in some respects and unshared in others. Lots of groups don’t have Sunday school for the young. So if it isn’t the IRS standard that is reasonable, what should be used?

It turns out the debate over the definition of religion is as old as history itself and the debate has gone on for ages. Even lawyers and nations have had trouble sorting it out. The problems involve the imposition of societal standards and judgments that can make a difference. So when it comes to protecting religion the application of the law requires a definition, but that definition brings debate. Then there is identity religion where folks subscribe to a community but not necessarily to a specific set of religious beliefs. That would include many Jews, for example.

In most places the laws that regulate religion are usually oriented towards majority practices and the promotion of specific groups to the community to be recognized. So the actual practice of faith means that in countries with large Christian populations Christmas is a holiday and in Islamic countries laws that permit the ritual slaughter of animals.

So what is a religion? The answer is really who applies and over time who is accepted after enough fuss is made and enough adherents develop to make that fuss heard by those in control and power, according to those who have reviewed this question.

I guess that means we can include Mormons as a religion. They have had two well-known Governors and a host of other people in political offices and a little over 12 million members worldwide. That’s certainly enough to make a fuss and a religion.

I Saw It, I saw It, I Saw Valkyrie!

Contrary to what some reviews have written, I found Tom Cruise excellent, beaming out confidence, authority, insight and integrity into the main character. I can hardly think of a better way to play that role.

I was surprised also to find out that the story was not just about a bomb that did not kill Hitler. The whole Operation Walkyrie was in fact more than that, it also consisted of a whole plan to take over power after Hitler's death. That was not the intention of the Operation as written but that was how it was used. Almost half of the film deals with what happens after the bomb goes off. Eventually it fails because it turns out that Hitler did not die, and was able to win back a few key allegiance that turned the situation against the plotters.

Lastly, I was wondering why people who don't really have the historical background would go and see the film. I was with my Asian girl friend (OK I was not in Belgium) and she understood little to nothing of the film, even as I tried to explain her bits of it. The cultural gap was just way too wide to cross. In this respect, it certainly is not a mass-friendly movie, and it's amazing that the movie had the success it had taken that into account. No doubt, the fact that it's Tom Cruise is for a big part in the attraction the movie has out of the US and Europe. I doubt it would be enough to make it a real success on foreign market, though.

On the whole, great realization and acting, and a very instructive movie from a historical perspective, but it's not going to be a second Top Gun.

Negative Reviews Bring Trust

To allow for negative reviews is important even for commercial products. At one points there were two web sites for Symbian softwares, One was Handango and the other was something like Symbian.com. The later allowed for negative reviews while the former only allowed positive ones. Because of this, I could not trust Handango and ended up buying always from Symbian.com. Sadly, it seems Handango bought Symbian.com :-( I guess in spite of their dishonesty they may have been better commercial managers. The good people don't always win... Nevertheless, the truth of this facts remain...

The story below reminds me of Handango, and I hope they won't go the same way.

Slashdot | Restauranteurs Say Yelp Uses Extortion To Ply Ad Sales:

"Readers Mike Van Pelt and EricThegreen point out a story in the East Bay Express alleging that online restaurant review site Yelp is doing more than providing a nice interface for foodies to share their impressions of restaurants. Instead, says the article, representatives from the site have called restaurants in the Bay area to solicit advertising, but with an interesting twist: the ad sales reps let restaurant owners know that, if they buy advertising at around $300 a month, Yelp can 'do something' about prominently displayed negative reviews of their restaurants. If the claims are true, it sure lowers my opinion of Yelp, which I'd thought of as one of the good guys (and a useful site). I wonder how many other online review sites might be doing something similar."

Microsoft Incompatible with Microsoft

(off-topic but funny)

Slashdot | Microsoft.com Makes IE8 Incompatibility List!:

"'Microsoft is tracking incompatible Web sites for its upcoming Internet Explorer 8 browser and has posted a list that now contains about 2,400 names — including Microsoft.com."

The Positive "Cult Experience"

Some anti-cultists like to post a list of "post-cult syndromes", the weakness of which has been discussed by Monica Pignotti and Lema Nal.

However, why not post lists of strengths too? (Bearing the same limitation that these are not necessarily caused by cult membership).

I can see a few positive aspects.

I was interested to read recently that most high profile defectors have done rather well in re-integrating society, in spite of having spent 20-35 years in Scientology and having no formal high-level education. I have seen that with myself and my friends as well. I think it has to do partly with some of the useful things we learn while in such a group, but also because of the fact that (I believe) most "cult members" are bright people who join alternative groups because they see through the limits of society and are not satisfied with it. They are idealist-oriented people who seek something better.

The "cult experience" also provides one with a feeling of "having found what I was looking for", a feeling of engagement and belonging, of dedication for the common good, responsibility for the world we live in, etc... I think these are positive and somehow stay as inner qualities after one quits the group.

One also may experience states of heightened awareness. It gives them a taste of what true spiritual experiences might be. It is similar with drugs. In spite of the negative effects of drug, it can give one an idea of higher states of beings. Often, after getting rid of the negative influence of drugs, one will seek to experience the state back, but without the dependencies this time, and I think that's a good thing too.

Ethic - one's sense of ethic is strongly reinforced while in a cultic group. This may sounds strange and I will explain later, but this is in fact what happens. One becomes more aware of the consequences of wrong doing, of the energy balance in the universe and the reaction of one's own spiritual being to ego characteristics such as greed and cheating. After exiting the group, one may retain this sense of ethic, and I believe it makes for more honest and responsible citizens. Again, you could say that the sense of honesty was already present in the 'cult member' before, but I believe it is part of what makes him attracted to the group and that the group strenghten those qualities.

Now how come, if the above is true, that cultists are being cultic? Well, that's the irony of all cults, including anti-cult cults and political parties. They just do wrong in the belief that what they do is good! It's the whole dialectic of cultism and I am not going to go into that now.

Which brings me to the next positive aspect, not linked by one's belonging to a cult but, on the contrary, the process of going out. Going out from such an high level of personal involvement requires tremendous questioning and integrity to look. When you truly realize the limitations you have fallen into, which I refer to as the cultic mindset, then you can see it in other groups, and this may help you chose better next time around. By itself, it also is enlightening and one can learn a lot through this too. You realize the importance of never assuming, keeping yourself open to self-questioning (which makes you more humble, a spiritual quality), and the importance of free speech to avoid getting trapped in a closed group/cult mentality.

Of course, as I pointed out many times, not all ex-members learn from their exit in this way, and they on the contrary become involved in the very same mentality they were trapped while in the cult but on the other side, and doing really wrong things - all the while still believing they are doing good. This is just the next trap we need to learn, and once we can see that trap too, then, again, we really gain more positive insight, beneficial to our own evolution, and beneficial to society, because it makes for a less intolerant society, where individual members gain the courage to question the majority's assumptions and stand against mob mentality.

So, on the whole, I think the cult experience can be really positive too. It strengthen the good qualities in the individual and provide him with the taste of "something" our sclerotic society and religions usually are unable to provide. It further makes the person wiser as he exists the group, in that it makes him more aware of a variety of illusion one can fall into. Again, if the person is able to avoid or exit the anti-cult trap, it makes him/her more perceptive of yet more illusions.

These are a few positive things I can see, at first sight, about the "cult experience", and things that would be fitting for a positive list.

Maxwell Smart's Shoephone

(Off-topic)

Play Agent 86 with a D.I.Y. guide to making a shoephone - Engadget:

"Find yourself in situations where you can't bring a handset but are in desperate need of one? [...] The win? You'll find yourself in the company of secret agent Maxwell Smart as you surreptitiously dial and take calls from your shoe."

Robots Used to Treat Autistic Kids

Robots used to treat autistic kids • The Register:

"US boffins say they have developed a method for treating children with autism - the condition characterised by repetitive behaviour, difficulties understanding human language and/or lack of imagination - by having them spend time with robots."

FARK.com

Not sure what is Fark.com but some guy made a link to my web site from there and I am getting loads and loads of hits, way more than any other web site or forum.

FARK.com: (4218779) Glib mom sues Church of Scientology for taking away son's schizophrenia meds and giving him a loaded gun

Notable Scientology Critics

A rather exhaustive list of critics. Of course, I am not on the list. The fact that I also criticize anti-cultists does not make of me a "notable" critic ;-)

Notable Scientology Critics (many of whom are former Scientologists)

Bad Memories

There has been news recently of a drug allegedly erasing traumatic memories. Grahame makes a good point that Scientology processing does not erase the memory itself but only the trauma attached to it.

My Scientology Blog: Bad Memories:

"[...] Scientology Auditing does not erase memories as the article implies that the drugs do.

Auditing erases the trauma associated with the memories. The memories themselves are still there, it's the pain and suffering associated with them that is gone.

If you had an accident and the memory was completely removed then you could easily make the same mistakes again and repeat the accident. If you have the trauma removed then you can remember exactly what happened and thereby learn from your mistakes.

I think that's a much better solution."