This list is a combination of other lists I have already written about scientology but with more of a focus on the deaths caused by the organization. Be sure to read the afterword for details on the up coming protests against the group.
“I have taken what 1 consider to be the most expedient way out of my present predicament. I harbor no resentment against anyone, except the Church of Scientology. They have a great deal to do with my demise. To play with people’s defense mechanisms in the manner that they do is a criminal thing at best. l hope they can be outlawed.” — Suicide note by James Hester
10. Scientology is a Secret Organization
The swift and calculated responses from the group have managed to do what no other organisation or government has done – censor certain information from the internet. You can find out how to make a bomb on the internet, but you can not find out what you have to do to pass the top levels in the Church of Scientology. Ironically, considering they are so secretive, it does not stop them using information taken from people they audit against them if they turn on the group. This would be the same as a person confessing to a priest, leaving the Church, and having the priest publish their confession on the internet.
9. L. Ron Hubbard Was a Drug Abuser
L Ron Hubbard was a drug abuser, which is ironic considering the organisation is very anti-drugs and even runs an organisation called Narconon to help people get off drugs. His son, Ronald, had this to say:
“I have personal knowledge that my father regularly used illegal drugs including amphetamines, barbituates and hallucinogens. He regularly used cocaine, peyote, and mescaline.” — Ronald DeWolf a.k.a. L. Ron Hubbard, Jr. Affadavit in Schaick v. Church of Scientology, US District Court Mass., No. 79-249
When Hubbard was in Las Palmas during 1967 he wrote a letter to his wife. In it Hubbard tells his wife: “I’m drinking lots of rum and popping pinks and greys.” See the decision by Judge Paul G. Breckenridge, Jr. in Scientology v. Armstrong, Los Angeles Superior Court, Case No. C 420153.
8. L. Ron Hubbard Was a Liar
Mr Hubbard told his followers that he was Nuclear Physicist:
Developed by L. Ron Hubbard, C.E., Ph.D., a nuclear physicist, Scientology has demonstrably achieved this long-sought goal. Doctor Hubbard, educated in advanced physics and higher mathematics and also a student of Sigmund Freud and others, began his present researches thirty years ago at George Washington University.
[Hubbard, “P.E. Handout”, HCO Information Letter of 14 April 1961]
In fact, Hubbard had no scientific degrees. In February 1953 he decided to obtain a “degree” from Sequoia University, a notorious “degree mill” in Los Angeles that was eventually shut down by the Californian state government in 1958. [Quoted in Russell Miller, Bare-Faced Messiah, page 212].
7. Dirty Tricks
Scientology is famous for using dirty tricks against its detractors. The worst of these tricks is called Fair Game. The organisation claims to have ceased using fair game but many people have experienced harassment since that claim was made. What is fair game?
“May be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed.” Hubbard
As part of fair game, Scientology members have created and distributed pamphlets full of lies and slander against people who have publicly protested against them.
6. Anti-Psychiatry
Hubbard (founder of Scientology) decided that psychiatrists were an ancient evil that had been a problem for billions of years. He taught that they assisted the evil alien Lord Xenu in his genocide 75 million years ago. The results of Scientology’s hatred of medicine and psychiatry has lead to numerous deaths. The second half of this list describes five of those deaths:
5. Kyle Thomas Brennan
Kyle Brennan was a young man who suffered from depression. He lived with his mother as his father (a scientologist) lived in Clearwater Florida to be close to the organization’s headquarters. The father regularly sent Scientology materials to his son which Kyle considered ridiculous. Kyle visited his father for a holiday and died in his care. According to Kyle’s mother: “I am uncertain as to what unfortunate events led to the tragic death of my dear son, who at the time was staying with his Scientologist father. I can say that his depression medication was not found on his person when the police searched the crime scene. I was also informed that when Kyle’s father found him he waited forty-five minutes before calling for medical assistance. He called a fellow Scientologist first, and then waited for him to arrive on the scene before calling an ambulance or the police. “
4. Elli Perkins
On March 13, 2003, Jeremy Perkins, a 28 year old untreated schizophrenic, stabbed his mother Elli 77 times. She bled to death on her bedroom floor. Jeremy is currently being held at Rochester Psychiatric Center, having been found not responsible for Elli’s murder by reason of mental disease or defect. Jeremy, under the care of the CoS was taking vitamins for his mental disorder, rather than his prescribed schizophrenia medicine.
3. Josephus Havenith
An autopsy report lists his death as “probable drowning” but notes that his head was not under water. He died in February 1980 at the Scientology Fort Harrison Hotel in a bathtub filled with water so hot it had burned his skin off.
2. Heribert Pfaff
According to the records, Heribert P. died august 28, 1988, during the night from a heavy epileptic attack. He hit his head on the night table. The scientology doctor reports that he prescribed vitamins for his patient -despite regular attacks- instead of treating him with proper medication. Such medication was indeed not detected in his blood during the post-mortem examination.
1. Lisa McPherson
On December 5, 1995, Lisa McPherson died. Scientology had held her against her will for 17 days. During that time, she tried to leave, became violent, and refused to eat. At the time of her death, she had bruises and abrasions on her body, and she had lost over 30 pounds in just 17 days.
Some text on this page is taken from the website Scientology Associated Deaths – I have shown just 5 of the many many deaths listed there.






























wow – we are only 3 articles away from the front page of reddit! reddit comments for this topic
Miss Destiny: Yeah those are some things that you don’t learn until you get pretty deep into LDS doctrine.
I just recently heard Will Smith became a scientologist, WTF!?! The CoS is recruting celebrities left and right!
jfrater:Did you ever get a response from Yogi Barrister saying I could have his prize from the geek movies list? I really need to know.
If I did have the proper equipment, I would bomb one of the Freewinds Scientologist cruise ships!! That would be the ultimate achievement!!!
Go nuts all you want people about Scientology-
All I know that 2nd pic of L. Ron is HAWWWWT!! xxoo
Geez Csimmons..give it a a break laddie…i’m sure ure dad will buy it for you if you ask him sweetly..
The Scientologists have infiltrated out televisions now. I saw a commercial the other day from “thewaytohappiness.org.” I looked it up and it is a web site about this book written by L. Ron Hubbard about how you should live your life. I was *****ed.
Okay, first off im a dude, second I got ripped off by Yogi, thats why i keep asking.
Scientology is probably the weirdest and most evil religion ever, I think I will protest.
Csimmons: be gracious! Yogi has emailed me offering you his prize.
jfrater:SWEET! whats your e-mail adress?
Wow – this is some seriously scary sh*t! I am speechless.
Csimmons: heavybison never said you werent a guy. You are being a right ***** about this prize thing. Just accept that you didn’t win.
dangorironhide: I know I didn’t win, BUT FOR THE 1,000,000 TIME, HE OFFERED ME HIS PRIZE!
By the way, sorry for being a huge ***** about the whole prize thing, sorry Yogi for saying you screwed me over.
I know he offered you it, but it seemed even with the list itself you were claiming you should get a consolation prize for staying on for 12 hours straight posting. That’s not prizeworthy, that’s just stupid.
dangorironhide: I said I recieved support, I didn’t want too get a consolation prize(too wimpy) but i recieved support.
You know, with all this creepy, creepy, strange, unnatural, just….evil….crap, you have to wonder why anyone would join in the first place.
…
Anyone? Why?
What about the Catholic Church? The 2000 plus year reich is much worse than Scientology.Those tactics above and worse (such as oblation, the castrati,the inquisition). Also there has been a cover up by the drug companies concerning the fact that antidepression drugs can exacerbate suicidal ideation.
jfrater – I’m definitely up for picketing London….. I was thinking of doing Brighton (but only as I know precisely where it is) but methinks London would make a greater impact. Is there information available for people wanting to locate their nearest ‘church’?
All I can say is that I’m glad I live in the UK where this kind of madness is still recognised as a ‘cult’ and not a religion. What does terrify me though is how many of these ‘churches’ are springing up all over the country……. there isn’t one in Bristol yet but I’m sure there will be soon :s
tristan: I’m not sure of your intentions, but I think you bring up a valid point. As far as religions go, if this is the worst that Scientology can conjure up then I’m not sure that it even begins to measure up to some of the darker histories of other religions. This is not to say I think Scientology is good or even justified, but I think it puts some perspective on things.
Wow! 2 posts away from the front page of reddit. article here. If enough people vote we will hit the front page and give a little justice to the 5 people listed here that were murdered by the CoS.
But…but…Tom Cruise saved us from 9/11!
Dana: I am certain he would like us to think so – just like Mayor Giuliani!
Haha, that southpark ep. was brilliant. I loved the end with all the suing talk. Fabulous. Then Scientologist Isaac Hayes left the show because they didn’t “respect religion.” This after being fine with an episode about the Catholic church being run by a giant spider, and a statue of the Virgin Mary bleeding from the backside… Double standard much?
I read all the comments because I was curious to see if anyone was supportive of Scientology. Apparently not, though if they are they probably wouldn’t want to post here anyway. Wouldn’t get a friendly reception
just here to lend my support to anonymous
Nelia: hehe – I think you are right about the reception they would get! This site is not well known for its tolerance of zany religions!
Wow I could absolutely understand thinking Scientology is a stupid quasi-religion but why all the hate? Sure there are a bunch of idiots in it but it has not affected my life in any way. I don’t see the problem is.
Scientology is still using fair game, just look at the deaths of Theresa Duncan and Jeremy Blake.
Um… no offense, but who the h*ll cares about scientology?
jfrater: congrats on getting on reddit!
goof_ball; anyone with a conscience….
also they don’t pay taxes anywhere where they are still considered a church, so even if you’re a cold-hearted bastard, the pocket book hit should infuriate you….
jfrater; I’m impressed with your courage, it takes cojones to publicly take a stand against the dirty rotten scumbags…
Also be careful where you go for treatment for drug addiction,,,a friend of my kids was treated in the Toronto area, now he’s off the drugs but also off the family, the decent non-scumbag family. Trust me its no good trading one addiction for another,,and from what I’ve read Scientology is at least if not more harmful. In many of the deaths I’ve read about, the people seem to think if they just try harder to be more devout to cos, they will be able to cure themselves of say Manic Depression or Schizophrenia. No drug addicts I know are that self-deluded.
And cos does not deserve capitals…..
tristan; yes the roman catholics were awful, as were the protestants, as were the romans, as were the vikings…note WERE, not are! and the castrati is a very poor example, they were like rock stars and it was better than being a dirt-poor underfed peasant. And yes some anti-depressives have side-effects including increased risk of suicide…it says so on the bottle…does cos come with a warning?
You sir are either a fool or a scientologist…oops silly me, same thing
okay lets just face it scientologists are nothing but a bunch of corrupt brainwashed ignorant religious nutters, who feel free to do absolutely anything to better their church, they are completely and hundred percent egocentric, and they think they are doing good. but just because someone tries to do good doesnt mean they are, and doesnt it mean its not for self serving reasons, and christianity and catholicism are much larger scurges upon the world than scientology, some estimates range that christianity and catholicism has killed over 100 million people since its start, nazis killed 6 million, so we can see the perspective as to why ones allowed and one isnt, scientology however is new, and has only caused relatively few deaths, and comparatively few ruined families and lives, but at the same time christianity started out like that, will it take another 100 million before both of these scurges are gone from life, or is human life of no value? yes i believe in freedom, but not the freedom to take life and cause pain and misery to others as these groups so often and so frequently enjoy doing, especially to those who go seeking for help and treatment.
jfrater:did you get my e-mail? i saw your e-mail on previous comments, was i right?
***** scientology
jeff; organized religion, either Judaism or Christianity or whatever started eons ago, before we knew any better. It is an unfair comparison. Try comparing cos to any modern religion. Some similarities to Latter Day Saints and Jehova Witnesses and thats about it. Have you read anything about either of them? Even the Witness “Nutters” who don’t believe in whole blood transfusions believe in anti-psychotic meds,,,even if they cause the need of ‘em…
Firstly ppl stop calling it as a religion. Its not. Its an exaggerated cult. I would love to go and paste one of their “churches”, but the nearest one to me is a few thousand miles away. Maybe I’ll get my chance in september.
I would love to picket the CoS but I live in Kentucky and there isn’t one for MIIIILLLLLEEEEESSSSS!
Gawker has put up a copy of an email that may or may not be from Leah Remini, the actress from “King Of Queens”. She rants on in almost incomprehensible language, urging people to take more courses and advance. It sounds like a cos fundraiser. you can find it here:
http://gawker.com/5002592/leah-reminis-crazy-scientology-email
I was given to understand that Scientology is in fact the only religion ever to be started on a bet. It was a friendly wager back in the early 40s, so goes the tale, between L. Ron and another (better) science fiction writer, A. E. Van Vogt, in which L proposed that a religion could be founded which would make money. Something like ten years later, with the earliest successes of Scientology, Van Vogt conceded he’d lost, because Elron was already a millionaire. There are in fact a number of ideas in the Scientology mythos which sound like thefts of Van Vogt’s work, particularly the notion of Slans, a below-the-radar race of benevolent telepaths — sort of how followers of CoS view themselves, once they’ve reached the higher levels and are fighting that great psychic fight that is supposed to be the point of all those tests and seminars, and all those thousands of “clams” forked over. It’s all plagiarism, hypocrisy, and the most jaw-dropping cynical bull***** … and it’s a damn sight stranger than fiction, ain’t it?
It is funny how now Scientology gets all this publicity. I remember as a child never even hearing of Scientology, but I remember a commercial for L. Ron Hubbard’s book Dianetics being all over the t.v. I do not remember it ever mentioning being part of a religion or trying to get anyone to join the CoS. I do remember it saying quotes from people about the book. Like, “One of the most gripping stories of our time. Extremely moving…” I thought it was just a fiction story book.
i just have to say “thank you listverse!” for taking a stand against the evil cult of homocidal, self-loving, delusional, goat-*****ing lunatics that make up the “church” of scientology. i am very much for free speech and freedom of religion, but this is almost worse than an organized crime syndicate and must be stopped at all costs. if there was ever a time for super heroes it is now because the “church” of scientology is nothing but a group of super-villians bent or world domination and controlling other people. they represent everything wrong with organized religion in any of its forms. they are based off of true fiction and in all their blind rediculousness resemble a ficticious organization, but are sadly all too real. i’ll put it to you this way; they make me proud that i live in the south were the southern baptist dominate everything, and any in the region know that THAT IS SAYING SOMETHING. and i goddamn dare this pack of movie-star *****s (not actual actors but “movie-stars”) to do ***** about ***** against me or anyone that opposes them or their warped scemes. i see them…ALL OF THEM, as a cancerous growth that must be amputated from the world so that its evil cannot spread and contaminate the rest of the world. ***** al-quida, Scientology in all its forms is a clear and present danger against human rights int he United States of America and around the globe. the 10th of February I’ll be burning an effigy of Tom Cruise along with copies of dianetics and vhs copies of top gun. i might even dress up as Guy Fawkes and do something really *****ty…who knows. No, i think i’ll dress as Lestat from the Anne Rice novels and raise some hell for what Tom Cruise has done to that character. Might i point out how *****ty that is that you can ruin the reputation of a completely evil and fictional vampire by the organization you have sold your soul to? Christ on his throne! I’m calling for a 3 way cage match between Tom Cruise, Mit Romney and John Hegee to decide Whose cult is more *****ed up. and i’ll run in there towards the end dressed ass Lestat with a titanium folding chair chair and wreck some lives by God! now, who the hell is with me? FOR PEACE, FOR SANITY, FOR HUMANITY, ***** SCIENTOLOGY!!!
boring. if i want religious debate, i’ll go elsewhere. (did ya hear the one about the priest, the rabbi and the mormon elder…)
Elvis was a Scientologist?
Oh! Evils of Scientology!!! hahahaha. curses
I’ve heard on a couple occasions that Hubbard once gave an interview or wrote an article (or something) in which he said that a really great way to get rich would be to invent a religion…and then he did and no one seemed to notice.
Does anyone know if that’s actually true or if that’s just a story that makes Hubbard sound more like an evil genius than he deserves credit for?
Very interesting. I went to check snopes. I had heard a similar rumor. There is nothing on L. Ron Hubbard or Scientology over at snopes according to their search. I am sure there have been tons of rumors or accusations about CoS just dying to be investigated by snopes. Yet none exist. Hmmmmm.
Time even wrote an article about CoS. I didn’t read the whole article, I am too tired right now. Here it is though.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,972865,00.html
Just wondering…. with all the readers on listverse, I would imagine at least one or so CoS members having come across this site…and yet, no one has come forth and defended their “great” L.Ron? I guess it’s not their style…
yong23: I have noticed their conspicuous absence on the other lists as well – however there is one Scientologist that did post on an early list – he is the author of a book about the cult.
Of course CoS is against psychiatry, they know their followers need mental help, and don’t want them to “wake up” to reality. What would happen to a member if it seemed that they had become a threat to Scientology. Should any accidental deaths be investigated?
ProgRapture and Dan Ohh: I agree.
A “church” that uses lawsuits lawsuits lawsuits and retaliation tatics – can anything be more creepy? Oh yeah the Westborough Church comes to mind close those same tactics. Fred Phelps and Tom Cruise two nuts of different colors!!!!!!
As I stated on post on the earlier list about COS – Saw Kirstie Alley defend the tactics on some TV show years ago and was both disgusted and creeped out.
Cults and death seem to go hand in hand (i.e. Jim Jones)
I think that the concepts of ‘Anonymous’ are great! With all the goverment illegal spying and FBI/NSA snooping, the only guarantee we have of freedom of speech ia anonymity! Buy a laptop with cash, only use other peoples wireless connections to the internet, never, never pass it through customs or an airport, and don’t enter any traceable personal data into the machine. If you can move to Mexico or some other free country before doing the above, so much the better.
Sure scientology is weird and out there. They may even be resposnsible for some deaths but they are no different from other more mainstream religions as far as rejecting science and beleieving in God’s ability to cure a disease.
Take 7 day adventists they do not allow blood transfusions. How many of their members have died or nearly died because of this little prohibition. Another case in point are the pro-lifers. Thought we had safely removed the back street abortion as a chooce of last resort…think again. More women die in childbirth every year than in all of the conflicts around the world combined.
Dastex: It’s Jehovahs Witnesses who do not allow blood transfusions, not 7th Day Adventists.
Diogenes:
There is a well known story about Elvis checking out scientology. He got out of the limo,. went in the building, and came out about ten minutes later, saying, “***** those bastards. All they want is my god-damned money.” Or something very similar to that (swears included). No, Elvis was not a scientologist, because he had the brains to see through their little scheme from the get-go. I can’t say the same for his daughter, Lisa-Marie. Last I heard, she was a practicing scientologist.
Hell yeah, this isn’t a moment too soon!
And shut up with all the scientology apologetics, they aren NOT an religion, they are a criminal mpyramid scheme dressed up as a religion. Hence, all comparisons between the “Church” of Scientology and actual religions are invalid. I know that I’m breaking Godwin’s law, but nazis are the only close comparison we have at modern times.
If you read some of the ex-scientologists stories, you’ll realize that they are probably one of the most insidious and dangerous institutions on the earth right now and THEY MUST BE STOPPED! I can only commend Anonymous for getting more people aware of this, and hopefully the demonstrations will have a huge turnout and their bogus tax exemptions removed. As soon as enough people are screaming for justice, the ex-scientologists that are keeping quiet will step forward and bring an end to the madness. Godspeed, internet.