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Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard exposed as a 'fraud' by British diplomats 30 years ago
Daily Mail (U.K.) ^ | August 6, 2009 | Graham Smith

Posted on 08/06/2009 7:02:55 AM PDT by Schnucki

British diplomats investigating the qualifications of L Ron Hubbard exposed the Scientology founder as a fraud 30 years ago.

The science-fiction writer, who invented the religion now followed by celebrities including Tom Cruise and John Travolta, awarded himself a PhD from a sham 'diploma mill' college he had acquired in California.

British consulate workers in Los Angeles secretly gathered information on behalf of the government.

Whitehall officials launched the covert investigation after Scientologists threatened to sue over the government's 1968 decision to ban followers from entering the UK to visit the sect's headquarters in East Grinstead, West Sussex.

Britain needed to establish whether Hubbard was a charalatan to defend itself against any libel action.

The evidence was gathered during the 1970s and included the claim by a US official that the sect had sent bogus doctors to hypnotise a legal investigator, forcing him to retire 'due to his mental health'.

The Department of Health files, many of which were classified until 2019, were released to The Times by the National Archive following a Freedom of Information request.

The dossier includes a signed statement by former senior Scientologist John McMaster, who said Hubbard and others faked ‘qualifications’ in Dianetics, the spiritual ‘science’ founded by Hubbard to provide spiritual healing.

He said: 'I understand it is asserted that L Ron Hubbard was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Sequoia University on February 10 1953, in recognition of his outstanding work in the fields of Dianetics and Scientology and that the said degree was recorded with the Department of Education of the State of California.

'The position is L Ron Hubbard [and others] acquired premises somewhere in Los Angeles which they had registered as a university called Sequoia and immediately awarded each other doctorates.'

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: britain; fraud; hubbard; losangeles; scientology
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To: reagan_fanatic

The rumor is that John Travolta wants to leave the cult, because he blames them for his son’s death.

But the Church would release details of his homosexuality should he leave.


21 posted on 08/06/2009 7:48:59 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: Schnucki
What is this world coming to? The next thing you'll tell me is that Joseph Smith was a fraud too!
22 posted on 08/06/2009 7:56:34 AM PDT by HenpeckedCon (1/20/13 - Obama's Last Day!)
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To: DM1

“hey anybody want to go in and start a “University” so we can award each other degrees?”

That is an often used “creation scientists” approach. No attempt to thread hijack; but it is common for “religious” organizations seeking to bamboozle the easily impressed to give themselves meaningless degrees from diploma mills that they own.


23 posted on 08/06/2009 7:56:35 AM PDT by allmendream (Income is EARNED not distributed, so how could it be redistributed?)
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To: Emmett McCarthy

“I’ve been told by a very knowledgeable novelist friend that Hubbard, a sort of mid-level sci-fi writer, bet another writer that he could invent a religion and get people to believe in it. “

i heard that story too. no idea if it is correct but if it is this guy was a genius in his way. create a religion out of thing air - sell lots of books and religious items via a pyramid scheme - laugh all the way to the bank


24 posted on 08/06/2009 7:57:28 AM PDT by DM1
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To: Emmett McCarthy
I wouldn't classify L.Ron as a “mid-level” sci fi writer at all.

He was lousy. His books practically unreadable.

He was far more successful as a founder of a ‘religion’ than as a sci-fi writer.

25 posted on 08/06/2009 7:58:56 AM PDT by allmendream (Income is EARNED not distributed, so how could it be redistributed?)
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To: whattajoke

“PhD FreeRepublic University, 2002 “

i love it

ok i have a PhD from good ole FREEPER U 2001


26 posted on 08/06/2009 7:59:07 AM PDT by DM1
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To: DM1

Yeah, but when he died, all the money was still there in the bank, wasn’t it? If he was, in fact, a conscious fraud and mocker of God for a buck....well, I just wouldn’t want to have to try to explain that to Him.


27 posted on 08/06/2009 8:02:40 AM PDT by Emmett McCarthy
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To: DM1
Some links here to good info on the rumored "bet."
28 posted on 08/06/2009 8:04:06 AM PDT by whattajoke (.)
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To: Schnucki

29 posted on 08/06/2009 8:05:34 AM PDT by onedoug
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To: HenpeckedCon
What is this world coming to? The next thing you'll tell me is that Joseph Smith was a fraud too!

You mean you haven't found magic golden tablets in the woods that only you can decipher?

BTW, your tagline just bummed me out for the day.
30 posted on 08/06/2009 8:05:45 AM PDT by whattajoke (.)
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To: allmendream

Sci-Fi is not a genre I’ve ever been particularly fond of so I could only go by my friend’s words. He may have been speaking just in terms of the guy having had at least sufficient sales to pay his rent.


31 posted on 08/06/2009 8:06:25 AM PDT by Emmett McCarthy
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To: pikachu
And how is Hubbard’s awarding himself a doctorate that much different that liberals awarding each other honorary doctorates all the time?

Because the honorary degree cannot be confused with a real degree.

L. Ron Hubbard awarded himself a real degree.
32 posted on 08/06/2009 8:08:04 AM PDT by SoConPubbie
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To: Emmett McCarthy

He seemed to have made up in quantity what he lacked in quality.

His “Battlefield Earth” series was a dozen books or so IIRC.


33 posted on 08/06/2009 8:08:45 AM PDT by allmendream (Income is EARNED not distributed, so how could it be redistributed?)
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To: Clemenza

It always strikes me that scientologists, Jehovah’a witnesses and Mormons are so very much against what they call “organised religion”, when their own religion is FAR more organised than any Church I’ve ever been to...


34 posted on 08/06/2009 8:21:25 AM PDT by Vanders9
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To: allmendream

crap film though...


35 posted on 08/06/2009 8:22:01 AM PDT by Vanders9
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To: Emmett McCarthy

You heard right: Hubbard won a bet with Robert Heinlein that he could not “create a new religion.” Knowing this helped me keep my sanity when I lived in Clearwater, FL, which is basically owned and operated by Hubbard’s “church.”


36 posted on 08/06/2009 8:22:24 AM PDT by ihatemyalarmclock (')
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To: Vanders9
All are "organized" and the three in question even operate under franchise models if you think about it. Of course, said faiths are basically Tesla Motors when compared to the General Motors of the RCC.

If ever I return to the faith, it would be me, some like minded folks, and the bible. Of course, we could then start getting more followers, and have to build a church, and get a bureaucracy to run it and then...

37 posted on 08/06/2009 8:24:46 AM PDT by Clemenza (Remember our Korean War Veterans)
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To: Vanders9

I didn’t even bother to see it.

But the review from some bad movie review site (I forget which) had me ROLLING IN THE AISLES. One of the funniest things I have ever read, and although I feel it would have been funnier if I HAD seen the movie, after reading the review I didn’t think it was worth it.


38 posted on 08/06/2009 8:36:35 AM PDT by allmendream (Income is EARNED not distributed, so how could it be redistributed?)
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To: Schnucki

I really don’t mean to sound smug but this has been common knowledge for years. But then Xenu made me say that.


39 posted on 08/06/2009 8:42:11 AM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: Billthedrill

Hail Xenu!


40 posted on 08/06/2009 8:44:23 AM PDT by dfwgator
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