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Celebrity Scientologist

 


Celebrity | Catherine Bell

 

 

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Catherine Bell on Scientology

From http://www.catherinebellonline.com/giving/month.html (10/03)

HELP (Hollywood Education and Literacy Project) is an amazing literacy and mentoring project founded in Hollywood and spreading across the country. It's a completely volunteer program (no cost to the students!)

It works. Plain and simple. I've seen the results and use the study techniques myself. Illiteracy is a huge obstacle to achieving your goals and this program has the solution.

Check it out!

Catherine Bell
Actress

 

 

 
   

Commentary

Gee, Catherine. Why is every one of the 'Giving Back' items you put on your page a Scientology front? Haven't you ever heard of a good charity or group that DIDN'T start with that cult you belong to?

 

Fox News reported on 7/14/03 that HELP, the educational organization promoted by Scientology celebrity Tom Cruise in a recent issue of People magazine, is a part of Scientology.

'The new issue of People magazine is out and contains a five-page spread endorsing a program affiliated with the Church of Scientology. The program is Hollywood Education Literacy Project, and in the feature story superstar actor Tom Cruise credits it with curing his illiteracy. But what is barely mentioned is that HELP, as it is known, has been roundly criticized by mainstream educators as a propaganda tool of Scientology.

Also not mentioned is that the not-for-profit Hollywood division of HELP - which is based at Scientology's garish Celebrity Centre - dispensed in 2001 a mere $100 in grants and contributions. HELP had total expenses, though, of $273,000 - more than half of which was for staff salaries. This is according to the group's 2001 tax filing.

Was People magazine so desperate to get a Cruise interview that they didn't mind shilling for a cult organization? The answer, it seems, is yes. Hidden in the story is the headline that Cruise was not able to read until age 22. The first reading material he had, he claims, was a Scientology picture book. That book led him to HELP and, consequently, Scientology.

People also gives little space to the many vociferous critics of Scientology and of HELP, mentioning only briefly that they exist. This came as a surprise to Carnegie Mellon University professor David S. Touretzky. The professor, who has written an exhaustive analysis of HELP, said, 'Fannie Weinstein, the reporter, called me and talked to me a lot. She went out and got all the source materials and did a lot of research. But I was cut out of the story.'

Touretzky says that HELP is a rigid learning system full of Scientology jargon, lingo and philosophy, and is designed to lead participants straight into the science fiction-worshipping, pay-through-the-nose 'religion.' He writes that the HELP manual 'is no more a secular learning methodology than wine and communion wafers are a Sunday morning snack. Indoctrinating students into Study Tech's unconventional language and world view, with its implied acceptance of L. Ron Hubbard as authority figure, would do much to soften them up for future recruitment into Scientology itself.'

 

Catherine Bell on the Howard Stern Show

(In another interview, this is how she described her appearance on the Stern program...)

Hollywood.com:At least you survived your first Howard Stern experience.

Catherine Bell: Barely! [laughs] It was OK, I actually had a good time.

Hollywood.com: You were a good sport letting Howard measure your bust, and you gave as good as you got when the questions turned to your sex life and involvement in Scientology.

Catherine Bell: It was fun. There wasn't anything he could ask that was gonna throw me. I knew what he was gonna ask before I went in there...I was very prepared, I went though a list of all the questions.

(However, a listener gave quite another version...)

Today on Howard Stern's radio show he had Catherine Bell on as a guest. He asked what famous friends she hung out with and she mentioned Jenna Elfman. Howard asked her if Jenna tried to convert her to Scientology, and Catherine said, "Did she try? No, I've been a Scientologist for seven years", which took everyone by surprise. Artie Lang said, "It just became a freak show!", with Howard muttering, "Oy, vay!"

Robin Quivers asked Catherine if her husband was a Scieno and did she convert him, and Catherine said yes, her husband was a Scieno but she didn't convert him. Howard said, "You know, I'm eighth level" and Catherine said, "Oh, really? What's that?" and Howard said "Oh, I don't know, I'm just kidding with you!" Artie said, "I can't even look at you any more!"

Howard asked if she thought she could get better work by being a Scientologist, and Catherine said that she has gotten more confident and become a better actress because of Scientology. Artie then starts doing a Dracula impression and says, "I am zee Space Man! Come to me!" and Catherine says, "What are you talking about? (meanwhile they start playing this eerie "Twilight Zone" haunted house type music in the background).

Howard then mentioned that L. Ron Hubbard was a science fiction writer who told one of his friends, "I'm going to go start my own religion because there's no money in this goddamn science fiction". Catherine refuted that, saying, "Actually, George Orwell said that in the 1930s". Howard didn't believe her, saying "They got you all brainwashed" and Catherine said, "No I've seen it, I'll send you a copy". Howard repeated that he thought he was brainwashed and said, "I'm going to unbrainwash you. You've been hanging around Hollywood too much" and Catherine again insisted that Orwell said it in the 1930s and that he and Hubbard were both science fiction writers and it got attributed to Hubbard.

Robin then asked if she knew John Travolta and Tom Cruise and Catherine said she's met them, and she's also met Lisa Marie Presley, and Robin said, "Oh, she knows all the Scientologists!". Artie then said in his Dracula voice, "Yessss, zee Space Man vill introduce you to them!" and Catherine again asked Artie, "What are you talking about?" Howard then said, "Repeat after me--'Oh, what a goose I am!' " and people started laughing.

Catherine then asked if Howard had ever read a book by Hubbard and Howard said no, then Catherine said, "Then you really don't know what it's about!" Howard then said that he wasn't into any religion, but that he certainly wouldn't go into any of these "new-fangled religions" and Catherine said "Christianity was new, and it was misunderstood back then, too".

Then Robin said, "You walked into the Centre and they said, 'Sit down, we're gonna put you on this e-meter'?" Catherine said that she had gone to the center and took a course (which was the "Overcoming Ups and Downs in Life" course) and it was "very cool". Artie interjected, 'How to Get Fooled'?". Catherine said that she started to do better in life and wound up getting the "JAG" TV series shortly after joining Scn. She also said that she used to be shy and insecure before joining Scientology and that it helped her get over that. Howard then asked her, "Ever bang your husband on the clay table?" which got more laughs. Catherine asked why he was so fixated on the clay table and Howard said that he just thought it was funny when people needed a new religion, and Robin said, "We make the same fun of Santeria, too!"

Catherine then again insisted that Howard should go and read a book and Howard, said, "Yeah, I'll read a book and then throw it right in the garbage!" Howard then said, "Oh, there's my mistake, I read 'Diabetics'!" Artie then said, "You know, you didn't get that series because of L. Ron Hubbard, you got it because you're the only hot chick who could memorize all that crap!" which got some laughs;

Catherine insisted that she memorized it better after taking Scientology courses. By this time they were going to start playing the "Mike Walker Game" so the topic started drifting from Scientology, and they ended the interview with her shortly afterwards. Then after a commercial break, Howard said that it seemed like Catherine was mad at them for goofing on Scientology because she started acting more abrupt and less friendly with them towards the end of her appearance and apparently during the commercial break she didn't even want to stick around to chit-chat or pose for pictures, etc., like many of the other celebrity guests do, it sounded like she just took off! Robin jokingly expressed her regret that "Oh, we didn't make a new friend today!".

So, Catherine, you read all the questions ahead of time, and there wasn't anything he could ask that would throw you, right? But you aren't acquainted with Xenu or any of the OT Levels, I guess....tsk tsk.

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