Playing Church

By Father Erik Richtsteig

OK, here is the deal. About one mile south of my church of St. James the Just, there is a little white church. I am told that it was a Southern Baptist church at one time. When I came to Ogden nine years ago, it was Glory to God Community Church. I found out later that it was a Metropolitan Community Church. Yup, the gay denomination. Not just gay friendly, but of, by, and for gays. Even the World Council of Churches won’t let them in as even that liberal organization doesn’t think that sexual orientation should be the foundation of a denomination. Later I heard that the pastor was an ex-Catholic and failed Franciscan seminarian. Well, I had heard more than I wish I had about that happening. All of a sudden a few years ago, the sign was changed and it had morphed into Glory to God American Catholic Church. That denomination evidently went under and now they have joined a North American Old Catholic Church out of the North East (headed by an ‘archbishop’ who received his formation via mail) and the pastor has been consecrated a bishop.

All along, they have received glowing coverage in the local media. They are open. They are inclusive. They don’t turn people away like the ‘other’ Catholic church. Their clergy has ‘life experience’. Etc, etc, ad nauseum. They are insistent that they are Catholic, just not papal Catholic. Last Christmas, they even had a sign out front, “Not your mamma’s Catholic church.” (Unintentionally true--the Blessed Mother has nothing to do with it.)

No doubt you can tell that it bothers me. I don’t like heresy and schism. Not by a long-shot. And when that heresy and schism masquerades as Catholicism, my blood pressure redlines. It is false advertising. It is like Mormonism claiming to be theologically Christian. Or Scientology claiming to be a religion. Or Wicca claiming to be the survival of pre-Christian paganism. It just isn’t true... (continued)

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Rupert Murdoch: Scientologists ‘creepy, maybe even evil’

 Rupert Murdoch delivers a keynote address on education reform in San Francisco on Oct. 14, 2011. (AP)
 

Rupert Murdoch, New Corp. chief executive and outspoken octogenarian media mogul, took to Twitter on Sunday to weigh in on the breakup of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. And Murdoch's tweets about Scientology sparked a big backlash.

"Scientology back in news," Murdoch tweeted. "Very weird cult, but big, big money involved with Tom Cruise either number two or three in [hierarchy]."

The owner of Fox News, Wall Street Journal and New York Post followed the "cult" comment with another tweet.

"Watch Katie Holmes and Scientology story develop," Murdoch wrote. "Something creepy, maybe even evil, about these people."

While Cruise is often associated with Viacom's Paramount Pictures, the Los Angeles Times noted, he has also starred in films for 20th Century Fox--the studio owned by News Corporation--and is "known for being prickly about being challenged about his involvement with Scientology."

Murdoch, though, is standing by his comments.

"Since Scientology tweet hundreds of attacks," he wrote later. "Expect they will increase and get worse and maybe threatening. Still stick to my story."

After a user asked Murdoch for his thoughts on Mormonism, he responded: "Mormonism a mystery to me, but Mormons certainly not evil."

Earlier Sunday, Murdoch used Twitter to criticize Mitt Romney's campaign.

"Met Romney last week," Murdoch wrote. President Obama's reelection campaign--comprised of "tough" Chicago political veterans--will be tough to beat, Murdoch added, unless Romney "drops old friends from team and hires some real pros. Doubtful."

It's not the first time the 81-year-old has expressed his doubts about Romney's electability. Last week, Murdoch tweeted: "When is Romney going to look like a challenger? Seems to play everything safe, make no news except burn off Hispanics."

Link:

• Rupert Murdoch: Scientologists ‘creepy, maybe even evil’

'Dossiers on enemies' found in Italian Scientology raid

'Suppressive persons'

By John Leyden

Italian police reportedly unearthed hidden dossiers on 'enemies' during a raid on Church of Scientology offices in Turin.

The files, apparently discovered behind locked doors in a basement office, allegedly contained personal information on judges, police officers and journalists identified as hostile to the Church.

Details on former Church members who have turned against Scientology were also reportedly recovered from handwritten files and computer records seized following a nine-hour search of the premises. No arrests took place, UPI adds.

The bust was reportedly authorised by local magistrates over concerns the local chapter of Scientology was holding sensitive personal data (including information on health and sexual orientation) in violation of Italy's privacy laws, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Elsewhere the Church has denied claims in Australia that senior members covered up the alleged sexual abuse of an 11-year-old girl.

Former Scientologist Carmen Rainer told ABC's Lateline programme that church officials persuaded her and her mum to lie to the authorities about alleged sexual abuse by her stepfather, Robert Kerr. Church of Scientology officials deny this and say it was only through their involvement in the case that Kerr eventually turned himself in and admitted his crimes.

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Scientologists move in on traumatised Mumbai

A group linked to the Church of Scientology is mounting an emergency campaign to "flood Mumbai" with hundreds of thousands of booklets by L Ron Hubbard in order to spread its message to residents traumatised by the terror attacks.

As Counterknowledge.com reports, Scientologists have sent out an email which says: "Flood Mumbai with TWTH [Hubbard's The Way to Happiness] booklets! This will help calm down the area! ... 100,000 booklets can be printed in India. We need to raise £21,000 on an immediate basis to make up the full amount." The operation is being mounted by ABLE, the Association for Better Living and Education, which is officially described as "Scientology-related"...

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