Scientology and Me
Encyclopedia
Scientology and Me was a television
documentary broadcast 14 May 2007 as part of the BBC's Panorama
series. Reporter John Sweeney
visited the United States to investigate whether the Church of Scientology
was becoming more mainstream. The programme gained particular controversy before and during filming due to unresolved differences on content and approach between Sweeney's production team and Scientology
members, who did not want detractors or perceived enemies of the church to be interviewed or included in the documentary.
The scale of the controversy intensified when the Church of Scientology released a 40 second clip of video footage showing the segment of a screaming argument between John Sweeney and Scientologist Tommy Davis
at the Psychiatry: An Industry of Death
museum, regarding Sweeney's use of the word "cult" to describe the Church of Scientology. In the argument, Sweeney yelled "You were not there at the beginning of the interview! You were not there! You did not hear or record all the interview!". The interview that Sweeney is referring to is the conversation between him and critic Shawn Lonsdale
. Despite the lobbying of British MPs by the Church of Scientology for the documentary to be scrapped, airing of Scientology and Me went ahead on May 14. The episode garnered the highest ratings for Panorama since September of the previous year, with a peak of 4.9 million viewers in the UK.
and the Church itself to see if the Church "still deserved its sinister reputation". In the introduction Sweeney outlines his documentary investigation into the reputation of the Church of Scientology, its affiliated celebrities and current activities, and begins with an edited version of a statement issued in the 1994 Los Angeles Superior Court
case "Church of Scientology of California vs Gerald Armstrong", in which Judge
John Breckenridge describes the Church of Scientology as "Schizophrenic, bizarre, ... paranoid[;] ... an organization that harasses its enemies ... and abuses the trust of its members". Sweeney also notes at this part of the documentary that the decision has been derided by the Church of Scientology since the court date by their claim that the decision was made based upon circumstantial and discredited evidence.
In describing the affiliated members of Scientology, the documentary refers to Scientology members as an "all-star cast list", and imposes an interview of John Travolta
, who speaks about the longevity of his career, and the subsequent demise of others being due to the influence, or lack thereof of Dianetics
. As a means of beginning with Criticism of the Church or its practices, the documentary moves onto an interview in which Sweeney talks with a mother, known as "Sharon", who had been disconnected from her daughter, who had chosen to distance herself from her after taking a weekend with other Scientologists and reading several books, which she claimed had changed her life. At this time, Sweeney explains the concept of a "Disconnect
" within the context of Scientology doctrine. "To the church, Sharon was a negative influence. Her daughter wrote to her cutting all ties. It's what Scientology call a 'disconnect'. They say they bring families together and a disconnect is a rare last resort and a human right."
and on DVD
showing Sweeney's outburst towards Scientologist representative Tommy Davis. The Church of Scientology also presented to the broadcaster a set of 154 breaches of BBC guidelines which they claimed Sweeney and his team broke, though Sandy Smith responded that "The head of current affairs, George Entwistle, has viewed all footage complained of and, with the exception of the point when Sweeney shouts, he found nothing that stood outside BBC guidelines". The BBC responded to the clip by releasing the video Sweeney shot on its website to give context to the argument before the documentary was aired, though they had already known about the outburst long before the YouTube clip was uploaded since a description of Sweeney losing his temper was included in TV guide listings for the documentary.
Scientologists also later complained of bigotry
towards the church due to perceived derogatory comments of Sweeney in his interviews with Scientology members. John Travolta lobbied MP
s to stop the documentary from being aired due to Sweeney's outburst towards fellow Scientologist, Tommy Davis. Both Sweeney and his producer, Sandy Smith have apologised for his behaviour, with Sweeney apologising after the incident which he cites as a by-product of Scientology's "Psychiatry: An Industry of Death
" "hijacking of the Holocaust" and attempts to control his mind. Sweeney said about the incident: 'I apologised almost immediately, Tommy carried on as if nothing had happened but meanwhile Scientology had rushed off copies of me losing it to my boss, my boss's boss and my boss's boss's boss, the Director-General of the BBC.' Sweeney later said of the incident, "I look like an exploding tomato and shout like a jet engine and every time I see it, it makes me cringe." The Church of Scientology, through a spokesman, denied Sweeney's statement regarding a quick apology at the time the Church posted its own material regarding the matter on the Internet.
Sweeney said of fair gaming: "While making our BBC Panorama film "Scientology and Me" I have been shouted at, spied on, had my hotel invaded at midnight, denounced as a "bigot" by star Scientologists and been chased round the streets of Los Angeles by sinister strangers.". Sweeney also claimed that his family and neighbours had been harassed by unidentified strangers back in the UK, including an intruder at his wedding who fled when confronted.
Scientology leader David Miscavige
was unhappy with the church's handling of the documentary, and was to punish Church spokesman Mike Rinder
exiling him to the United Kingdom to dig ditches. As a result, he left the church in 2007. In 2009, he has subsequently spoken out against the church, and now said he lied to Sweeney during the interviewing to defend the church.
On 28 September 2010 Rinder and Amy Scobee were featured on The Secrets of Scientology
, a follow-up to the 2007 broadcast. Rinder revealed that Sweeney was correct, Scientology was following Sweeney's activities for the 2007 report.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
documentary broadcast 14 May 2007 as part of the BBC's Panorama
Panorama (TV series)
Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
series. Reporter John Sweeney
John Sweeney (journalist)
John Sweeney is an award-winning journalist and author, currently working as an investigative journalist for the BBC's Panorama series.- Investigative journalism :...
visited the United States to investigate whether the Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
was becoming more mainstream. The programme gained particular controversy before and during filming due to unresolved differences on content and approach between Sweeney's production team and Scientology
Scientology
Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...
members, who did not want detractors or perceived enemies of the church to be interviewed or included in the documentary.
The scale of the controversy intensified when the Church of Scientology released a 40 second clip of video footage showing the segment of a screaming argument between John Sweeney and Scientologist Tommy Davis
Thomas W. Davis
Thomas W. "Tommy" Davis is the head of the Church of Scientology's Celebrity Centre International in Los Angeles, California.-Celebrity Centre:...
at the Psychiatry: An Industry of Death
Psychiatry: An Industry of Death
Psychiatry: An Industry of Death is a museum in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, as well as several touring exhibitions. It is owned and operated by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights , an anti-psychiatry organization founded by the Church of Scientology and psychiatrist Thomas Szasz...
museum, regarding Sweeney's use of the word "cult" to describe the Church of Scientology. In the argument, Sweeney yelled "You were not there at the beginning of the interview! You were not there! You did not hear or record all the interview!". The interview that Sweeney is referring to is the conversation between him and critic Shawn Lonsdale
Shawn Lonsdale
Shawn Lonsdale was a videographer and prominent critic of the Church of Scientology. He resided in Clearwater, Florida, and regularly videotaped members of Scientology coming and going from church activities in Clearwater...
. Despite the lobbying of British MPs by the Church of Scientology for the documentary to be scrapped, airing of Scientology and Me went ahead on May 14. The episode garnered the highest ratings for Panorama since September of the previous year, with a peak of 4.9 million viewers in the UK.
Content
The documentary itself was intended to be a documentary investigating the claims of both critics of the Church of ScientologyChurch of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
and the Church itself to see if the Church "still deserved its sinister reputation". In the introduction Sweeney outlines his documentary investigation into the reputation of the Church of Scientology, its affiliated celebrities and current activities, and begins with an edited version of a statement issued in the 1994 Los Angeles Superior Court
Superior court
In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general competence which typically has unlimited jurisdiction with regard to civil and criminal legal cases...
case "Church of Scientology of California vs Gerald Armstrong", in which Judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
John Breckenridge describes the Church of Scientology as "Schizophrenic, bizarre, ... paranoid[;] ... an organization that harasses its enemies ... and abuses the trust of its members". Sweeney also notes at this part of the documentary that the decision has been derided by the Church of Scientology since the court date by their claim that the decision was made based upon circumstantial and discredited evidence.
In describing the affiliated members of Scientology, the documentary refers to Scientology members as an "all-star cast list", and imposes an interview of John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
, who speaks about the longevity of his career, and the subsequent demise of others being due to the influence, or lack thereof of Dianetics
Dianetics
Dianetics is a set of ideas and practices regarding the metaphysical relationship between the mind and body that was invented by the science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard and is practiced by followers of Scientology...
. As a means of beginning with Criticism of the Church or its practices, the documentary moves onto an interview in which Sweeney talks with a mother, known as "Sharon", who had been disconnected from her daughter, who had chosen to distance herself from her after taking a weekend with other Scientologists and reading several books, which she claimed had changed her life. At this time, Sweeney explains the concept of a "Disconnect
Disconnection
Disconnection, when used in Scientology, is a term used to describe the severance of all ties between a Scientologist and a friend, colleague, or family member deemed to be antagonistic towards Scientology. The practice of disconnection is a form of shunning. Among Scientologists, disconnection is...
" within the context of Scientology doctrine. "To the church, Sharon was a negative influence. Her daughter wrote to her cutting all ties. It's what Scientology call a 'disconnect'. They say they bring families together and a disconnect is a rare last resort and a human right."
Reactions
On 10 May video footage filmed by the Church of Scientology was released on YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
and on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
showing Sweeney's outburst towards Scientologist representative Tommy Davis. The Church of Scientology also presented to the broadcaster a set of 154 breaches of BBC guidelines which they claimed Sweeney and his team broke, though Sandy Smith responded that "The head of current affairs, George Entwistle, has viewed all footage complained of and, with the exception of the point when Sweeney shouts, he found nothing that stood outside BBC guidelines". The BBC responded to the clip by releasing the video Sweeney shot on its website to give context to the argument before the documentary was aired, though they had already known about the outburst long before the YouTube clip was uploaded since a description of Sweeney losing his temper was included in TV guide listings for the documentary.
Scientologists also later complained of bigotry
Bigotry
A bigot is a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices, especially one exhibiting intolerance, and animosity toward those of differing beliefs...
towards the church due to perceived derogatory comments of Sweeney in his interviews with Scientology members. John Travolta lobbied MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
s to stop the documentary from being aired due to Sweeney's outburst towards fellow Scientologist, Tommy Davis. Both Sweeney and his producer, Sandy Smith have apologised for his behaviour, with Sweeney apologising after the incident which he cites as a by-product of Scientology's "Psychiatry: An Industry of Death
Psychiatry: An Industry of Death
Psychiatry: An Industry of Death is a museum in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, as well as several touring exhibitions. It is owned and operated by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights , an anti-psychiatry organization founded by the Church of Scientology and psychiatrist Thomas Szasz...
" "hijacking of the Holocaust" and attempts to control his mind. Sweeney said about the incident: 'I apologised almost immediately, Tommy carried on as if nothing had happened but meanwhile Scientology had rushed off copies of me losing it to my boss, my boss's boss and my boss's boss's boss, the Director-General of the BBC.' Sweeney later said of the incident, "I look like an exploding tomato and shout like a jet engine and every time I see it, it makes me cringe." The Church of Scientology, through a spokesman, denied Sweeney's statement regarding a quick apology at the time the Church posted its own material regarding the matter on the Internet.
Sweeney said of fair gaming: "While making our BBC Panorama film "Scientology and Me" I have been shouted at, spied on, had my hotel invaded at midnight, denounced as a "bigot" by star Scientologists and been chased round the streets of Los Angeles by sinister strangers.". Sweeney also claimed that his family and neighbours had been harassed by unidentified strangers back in the UK, including an intruder at his wedding who fled when confronted.
Scientology leader David Miscavige
David Miscavige
David Miscavige is the leader of the Church of Scientology and affiliated organizations. His title is Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center , a corporation that controls the trademarked names and symbols of Dianetics and Scientology. Miscavige was an assistant to Hubbard while a...
was unhappy with the church's handling of the documentary, and was to punish Church spokesman Mike Rinder
Mike Rinder
Michael "Mike" Rinder is an Australian Scientologist who was a former chief spokesman of the Church of Scientology. Rinder served as Executive Director of the Office of Special Affairs and was a director of the Church of Scientology International...
exiling him to the United Kingdom to dig ditches. As a result, he left the church in 2007. In 2009, he has subsequently spoken out against the church, and now said he lied to Sweeney during the interviewing to defend the church.
On 28 September 2010 Rinder and Amy Scobee were featured on The Secrets of Scientology
The Secrets of Scientology
The Secrets of Scientology is a documentary which was broadcast on 28 September 2010 as part of the BBC's Panorama documentary strand. Presented by John Sweeney it is a follow up of his 2007 investigation into the Church of Scientology and features interviews with former high-ranking members of the...
, a follow-up to the 2007 broadcast. Rinder revealed that Sweeney was correct, Scientology was following Sweeney's activities for the 2007 report.
See also
- The Secrets of ScientologyThe Secrets of ScientologyThe Secrets of Scientology is a documentary which was broadcast on 28 September 2010 as part of the BBC's Panorama documentary strand. Presented by John Sweeney it is a follow up of his 2007 investigation into the Church of Scientology and features interviews with former high-ranking members of the...
- Shawn LonsdaleShawn LonsdaleShawn Lonsdale was a videographer and prominent critic of the Church of Scientology. He resided in Clearwater, Florida, and regularly videotaped members of Scientology coming and going from church activities in Clearwater...
- Scientology in the United KingdomScientology in the United KingdomScientology in the United Kingdom is practised mainly within the Church of Scientology and its related groups which go under names including "Hubbard Academy of Personal Independence" and "Dianetics and Scientology Life Improvement Centre". The national headquarters, and former global headquarters,...