'Secrets of Scientology': Journalist John Sweeney Revisits Scientology

By Randy Sly
10/6/2010
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

The BBC's investigative TV show, Panorama, airs his new documentary

The journalist who became famous for exploding in an interview with Scientology spokesman Tommy Davis in 2007 takes another turn reporting on the inner workings of the organization through the eyes of former members. On September 28, journalist John Sweeney's "Secrets of Scientology" drew nearly 5 million viewers for the show Panorama on BBC1, making it the most popular show for the 9:00pm slot.

Journalist John Sweeney confronts someone following him while in America.

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WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - People in England seemingly can't get enough when it comes to revelations about Scientology. On September 28, journalist John Sweeney's "Secrets of Scientology" drew nearly 5 million viewers for the show Panorama on BBC1, making it the most popular show for the 9:00pm slot.

Sweeney had gained notoriety in 2007 when his first Panorama documentary on the subject, "Scientology & Me," contained an emotionally charged clash between the journalist and Tommy Davis, spokesman for the Church of Scientology. That segment of the show went viral on YouTube.

After the incident Sweeney acknowledge that he has lost control like "an exploding tomato" and apologized for his behavior.

Now, three years later, Sweeney re-visited the subject after Mike Rinder, who was a high-ranking leader in the group and accompanied Davis during that explosive first interview, left Scientology. Part of the new documentary focuses on Rinder's re-telling of what took place around the time of the first show as well as other inner workings of the organization.

During the interview, Rinder admitted that Sweeney had been followed - something he denied three years ago - and, in fact, he and Davis were involved. According to the Scientologist, Sweeney's activities were being regularly reported to the church's leader, David Miscavige.

The BBC sought confirmation of Rinder's statements from the Church of Scientology through their British law firm, Carter-Ruck, who rejected this new report of the 2007 events.

The documentary also features Amy Scobee, another former Scientologist and member of their elite Sea Organization, who is now speaking out about her experiences inside the organization.

When she first began to discuss her life inside the organization and criticize Miscavige, information about her private sex life, prior to her marriage, was sent to the St. Petersburg Times in Florida.

In a recent article on the BBC website, Sweeney reports that the church admitted to sending the material saying that it was not confidential and a part of an affidavit that Scobee had signed.

In the same article, he went on to say, " During our time in America for the latest Panorama, we were once again followed by people filming us, this time more openly than before.

"When we approached the people with cameras to ask them who they were with and what they were doing, they refused to answer our questions.

"That is why I was somewhat grateful to Scientology's UK lawyers at Carter-Ruck when they sent the BBC photographs of me hugging Amy Scobee at the end of a long and at times harrowing series of interviews about her experiences.

"The photographs were meant to demonstrate to my bosses at the BBC, once again, that I must be biased against the church as I was overly familiar with its critics.

"This was, oddly enough, welcome proof that the people who had been following and filming us in the States were indeed working for the Church of Scientology. As Mike Rinder had said, I was not being paranoid - I was being followed."

At this point, the documentary is not available on the BBC website or through YouTube for viewing in America.

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Randy Sly is the Associate Editor of Catholic Online and the CEO/Associate Publisher for the Northern Virginia Local Edition of Catholic Online (http://virginia.catholic.org). He is a former Archbishop of the Charismatic Episcopal Church who laid aside that ministry to enter into the full communion of the Catholic Church.

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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Sweeney, Scientology, Tommy Davis, L. Ron Hubbard, Mike Rinder

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1 - 10 of 23 Comments

Louanne's Brother
2 years ago
Please forgive Louanne. She is a Scientoloogist so naturally she is biased. Freedom Magazine is about as factual and truthful as Pravda was in the old days of the Soviet Union and it is just about as hilariously obvious about it's "truth telling" as Pravda was.
sp4123105
2 years ago
Thank you to Mr. Sly and the editorial staff at Catholic Online. I have read Amy Scobee's book that is mentioned above and it is worth the read, as are the other ex-members' books.

Articles such as this one are crucial in promoting free speech and as time goes on more and more people will become aware of this criminal cult of Scientology.

I would especially like to see the front groups exposed: WISE, ABLE, Narconon, Applied Scholastics, etc. Bet your readers would appreciate it too!
Bulbajer
2 years ago
What does everybody think of the organizations collectively known as the "Free Zone"? They are Scientologists, but are independent from the Church of Scientology. The CoS labels them "squirrels" and tries to paint them as enemies of the church trying to bring it down due to greed and hatred, and puts them under considerable legal pressures. I could never be a Scientologist, but I admire these independents for their courage in standing up to this corrupt organization while defending their beliefs.
Brent
2 years ago
I am simply amazed that Scientology would continue putting out their so-called "rebuttals" (read:smear attempts) in their ironically named Freedom Magazine. Really Louanne, do you think that kind of childish vitriol is effective? Do you think it makes you appear, as you're fond of referring to yourselves, "the most ethical people on the planet?"
Do you not see that to ANYONE not indoctrinated into your madness you come across as a stalking, bullying organization which has far more in common with the Mafia than any "religion"?
Really Louanne? You still don't recognize that?
eddieVroom
2 years ago
What is Scientology? In a nutshell: You buy Dianetics, and read that you have a "reactive mind". Several years and many dollars later, you realize that you "mocked up" - that is to say, imagined - your reactive mind when you started reading that you have one. Then you are declared "Clear". Then you move on to the OT levels, and get into things like Xenu and the Body Thetans. Then, wouldn't you know it, it turns out you imagined all that too. Then you keep getting busted to OT7 so you can fork out still more money.
Amy Scobee
2 years ago
Thank you for posting this article. I recently self-published a book entitled SCIENTOLOGY - ABUSE AT THE TOP as I spent 27 years in Scientology "church" management and witnessed/experienced quite enough which I'm hoping to warn others about with my book. It's available on Amazon.com or at my website at www.scobeepublishing.com
Marc Abian
2 years ago
The BBC program is available on Youtube here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l42UrHDx4lE
Rusty
2 years ago
It's not officially available for viewing stateside, but you can watch the whole thing here if you want:

http://www.xenutv.com/blog/?p=5044
Raven Stephens
2 years ago
Thanks for the great article! The CULT WATCH continues on every continent in every town in front of every cult-owned property. Scientology is not a laughing matter!
Dave
2 years ago
Great article, thanks for posting it!

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