Scientology, Justice and “Religious Freedom”

Last Tuesday Senator Nick Xenophon’s push for a senate inquiry into the dealings of Scientology in Australia was overwhelmingly defeated. This came the same week that both the ABC’s “Four Corners” and Sevens “Sunday Night” increased the media spotlight on the practices of the dubious “religion”.

I have been intrigued at the way this secretive group has been portraying itself in the light of much damning evidence, I sat down this afternoon and watch the Four Corners story which was focused mainly on the stories of those who had left Scientology… and this got me thinking….

Although I have some reservations about the precedent that a senate inquiry would set for all religious organisations in Australia, I can see that this is clearly an issue of  justice. We see many lives being destroyed by this organisation that is not accountable to anyone!

The smarmy non-answers of the current Scientology PR Guy Tommy Davis makes it easy to see that this organisation is using the language of “Religion” to mask what seems to be just a money making cult.

So what would it look like if all churches, mosques and temples had to open their books to scrutiny? How would your church stack up? Do we assume that we are still “cozy” with the state as Christians and don’t need that same spotlight?

What if we didn’t have the favor of the state, tax breaks? Perhaps this is the blessing of “persecution” that the church here needs to kick its butt into more organic and less centralised models of corporate church.

One other thing that disturbed me was that as i watched the painful stories of people who have lost children and money to Scientology, i couldn’t help but recall stories of those hurt and rejected by “Christian” churches… Those who have come out bitter and abused by leadership. Sometimes we can point the finger at obvious abuses of “religion” and miss the plank in our own eye.

I hope that justice is done for all those victims of Scientology, and that perhaps all communities of faith can be more open and honest as we reflect on the world we now find ourselves in.