p2pnet news view Freedom | P2P:- The Cult of Scientology could be shut down in France where seven of its French leaders are being charged with organized fraud and illegal pharmaceutical activity.

It’s up against complaints from two women, “one of whom alleges she was manipulated into handing over 20,000 euros (28,000 dollars) for costly Scientology products, such as an ‘electrometer’ [bottom left] to measure mental energy,” says Agence France-Presse, going on »»»

She says she was approached in a Paris street by a Scientologist in late 1998 who offered a free personality test, at a time when she was feeling psychologically fragile.

After being told that her test results were poor, the woman was sold a series of “life-improvement courses”, vitamins and other products that she could ill afford, landing her in debt.

“The Hubbard Professional Mark Super VII is the most sophisticated and expensive e-meter yet developed by the Church of Scientology,” says Inside the Super VII.

“Its retail price in 1995 was US $3,850. It is the standard e-meter in use today. Although the earlier Mark V model is still offered for sale, for auditing on the OT levels the Mark Super VII is required .”

France, “regards Scientology as a sect, not a religion, and the organisation could be banned if it loses the case,” says the BBC.

“It will be the first time the church has appeared as a defendant in a fraud case in France,” it says, adding:

“Previous court cases have involved individual Scientologists.

“The woman at the centre of the case says she was approached by church members in Paris 10 years ago, and offered a free personality test. But, she says, she ended up spending 21,000 euros ($29,400, £18,400) on lessons, books and medicines she was told would cure her poor mental state.”

Her lawyers say the cult, “systematically seeks to make money by means of mental pressure and the use of scientifically dubious ‘cures’.”

The $3,850 Hubbard Professional Mark Super VII is a “a crude lie detector” which, “custom-manufactured and sold in low volume,” would, “normally retail for around $300 today,” says Inside the Mark Super VII.

Our picture on the right shows cult founder L. Ron Hubbard confirming, “clearly in his own voice,” something called R2-45 as the “act of shooting a person with a firearm to release the ‘thetan’ (spirit) from their body,” says Wikileaks.

The R2-45 is a Colt automatic.

(Thanks, Marc)

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Agence France-Presse – Church of Scientology on trial in France, May 25, 2009
BBC – Scientology on trial in France, May 25, 2009
R2-45 – Scientology: If you can’t con ‘em, kill ‘em, April 14, 2009