Defending the Truth

Here in the UK, the BBC have made a documentary "exposing" Scientology and claiming it's just a sinister cult.

Unfortunately, at one point the BBC's reporter John Sweeney got a little but angry:

YouTube - John Sweeny - BBC Panorama Reporter at work

Wow, I didn't know Englishmen were given to such fits of temper! He must have spent too much time hanging around us Americans... LOL!

That video was recorded and released by a team of scientologists that had been following and spying on John Sweeney and the BBC crew for some days. Watch the actual Panorama show here, which includes the outburst toward the end in it's context:

Panorama - Scientology and Me

The person he yelled at was the individual dressed in black that kept following him and spying on him, and approaching him to attack him and the people he was interviewing. After seeing that, if I were in Sweeny's position, I don't think I can say for sure that I wouldn't have punched him in the face as opposed to just yelling at him.

Scientologists have to be the nastiest group of people I've ever seen.

I have to agree with you there Katz. Here's another clip about what led up to this situation. A tad shorter then yours, but interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=http:...?v=dwTDvfjcUJU

I fully agree with you, Katz. Never did like Scientologists. . .

By the way, did anyone hear about John Travolta recently coming to the defense of Tom Cruise?

People should find this link interesting: wcbstv.com - Travolta Backs Scientology View Of Psychiatry

Personally, whenever I see anything about Scientology, the first thing that comes to mind is Jim Jones and his 'church'. Watching the videos about this incident only confirm that aspect even more.

Katz and Ali - I just watched both of your videos in their entirety, and I agree that they are both curiously interesting. Scientology seems to have a certain agenda and plan. I wish them luck (they are going to need it).

Anyway, here is a link to the article about what is in the videos, in case anyone wants to read about what took place:

BBC, Scientology dispute plays out on Internet - Media - MSNBC.com

Thanks, and now I am going to go puke.

Know what you mean. The more research I do into Scientology, irregardless of if it's the press or their own site...The more my stomach heaves and rolls. People who are thinking about joining this...'religion' really need to think hard and long first.

It isn't just what has been shown about them, or just what they do/say about thier own beliefs. It's something else. Something one can't just put a finger on that says 'Danger. Run.' It just sets off alarm bells for me.

I wanted to add something of intrest about this thread...If anyone here has taken the time to go through all the clips on this episode, you'll notice that there's a YouTube 'battle' going on between the supporters of Scientology and those against Scientology.

There's a thing of intrest though that viewers should know before viewing the clips.

If you watch the WHOLE clip from the actual show put on by the BBC, there's a segment where John Sweeny is attending the opening of a new Scientology Church. While he's talking to one of the members, Tom Davis walks up and Sweeny starts talking to him.

This is the scene where Sweeny uses the word 'cult' in regards to Scientology and Davis starts berating him. Towards the end of this segment, after Davis has his say and Sweeny is trying to get his word in while Davis is walking away...The words Sweeny says is 19 minutes and 18 seconds into the taping and his back is to the camera...

The BBC track has Sweeny's words as: "No it's your turn to listen to me, if people say to me that they think that you're what you claim to be a religion is in fact a cult, I've got a right to report that."

The version that has been put out by YouTube, when Scientologists started immediately posting the incident, is these words: "No it's your turn to listen to me, I'm a British subject, not an American citizen, and in my country we have a freedom of speech, I've got a right to report that."

Am I the only person here, that finds it disturbing? That not only does such a group endorses harrassing and investigating their imagined opponants, but that they're willing to also doctor the videos and spread false information about what was said by their supposed 'enemies'?

Not only do I find that disturbing, but that those viewing these videos on YouTube are ignorant of the dubbing, being made victims of false information.