Rheinischer Merkur
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Scientology: A Banker brings his financial means to bear against the sect
By Stephan Strothe, Miami
April 23, 1998
Bob Minton appears as an intrepid representative of sect victims: He wants to uncover
the consequences of a religious philosophy. In large, awkward letters Bob Minton writes
his message on a poster: "Scientology wants your money and your life." Then the
51 year old banker takes a deep breath, crosses the street with a determined stride, and
begins his one-man demonstration - directly in front of the "spiritual
headquarters" of the Scientologists in Clearwater, on the west coast of Florida. The
sect members remain behind the walls of the former luxury hotel, "Fort
Harrison." But outside, only a few yards from Bob Minton, Scientology's security
officers observe each step of the lone demonstrator. Also the SAT-1 camera, which has
accompanied the crusade of Bob Minton for three weeks, has, since the arrive in
Clearwater, constantly been in the sights of the sect "sheriffs": armed with
cameras and camcorders, they report each movemnet over walkie-talkies to the sect
headquarters. When Bob Minton, the millionaire, starts a protest demonstration, the
Scientology management in Los Angeles and Clearwater go to first stage alert. The man with
the soft voice and the decisive appearance fights Scientology on multiple fronts: on
talkshows and presentations, on the street and over the internet, above all with his
millions of dollars.
Enlightenment over the Internet
Bob Minton is not only brave and determined; he is also rich. The banker from the Boston
financial elite earned his millions by helping developing countries in the re-structuring
of their billions of dollars of debt. At 46 years old, he retired, tended to both of his
small daughters, and puttered about his favorite playground, the internet.
That is where computer freak Minton learned how rabidly the Scientology leadership
advances on the virtual battlefield against their critics: with threats, carrying out
searches of homes because of alleged copyright violations, and costly legal procedures
against former members who disseminate embarassing internal information from the inner
life of the sect.
"I thought we lived in a free country. Who really protects our freedom of
speech?" ponders Bob Minton. Because Scientology is recognized as a church in the
USA, and is therefore widely protected from undercover police investigations, the
millionaire decided to take it upon himself, to see to it that "the odds are evened
up a little bit." Up to now he has paid out almost 3 million marks ($2 million) for
his crusade. Checks for "a couple of hundred thousand more dollars" are ready to
be written.
The Robin Hood of the cult opponents supports, in the meanwhile, a dozen Scientology
ex-members who are at their wit's and financial end in their years-long disputes with the
sect. For two high-ranking ex-Scientologists, Stacy and Vaughn Young, Bob Minton recently
provided a house on an island in the northwestern USA, so that the couple could finally
have some peace and quite from the persecution of the sect. That was supposed to be a
hideaway for a half a million marks (about $300,000), over 4,000 kilometers (2,000 miles)
away from Clearwater - but apparently not far enough. Anonymous fliers warn the neighbors
of the Youngs of alleged "publicly dangerous activities" of the former members
of Scientology.
From the material battle against the sect, Bob Minton shifts gears to a finely-tuned drive
in the halls of international diplomacy: at dinner in New York he meets with Abdelfattah
Amor, who, on assignment for the UN, follows up on the string of accusations of the
Scientologists, and investigates "religious intolerance and discrimination" in
Germany.
At least Minton's intervention has not hurt the Scientology opponents. In his recently
released final decision, the diplomat characterized the Scientology accusation, that the
sect was persecuted in Germany with Nazi methods, as "senseless and childish."
True to the simple friend-enemy scheme of the deceased sect founder, L. Ron Hubbard, Bob
Minton's drive in world politics could only mean one thing: the man has to be an agent of
the German goverment. Nowhere, however, is the deep breath and the deep pockets of the
millionaire feared by the sect so much as on the battlefield of choice for the sect: in
the halls of American justice.
Where the aggressive Scientology attorneys, up until now, have been able to intimidate
through their sheer numbers and a seemingly inexhaustible war chest, Bob Minton now
actually brings about a slightly better balance in weaponry. His checks help
ex-Scientologists who report their painful experiences, and should have, according to the
handbook of the "church", been silenced. The biggest sin in the eyes of the
Scientologists is the over 200,000 marks ($140,000), which Bob Minton has given, up to
now, to Kennan Dendar's small legal practice in Clearwater. Mr. Dendar is suing the sect
for 144 Million marks ($100 million) punitive damages in connection with the death of a
Scientology member, Lisa McPherson. The 36 year old woman died two years ago under
unexplained circumstances after a seventeen day "observation" by Scientology
sect members in Clearwater's Fort Harrison Hotel.
Records by Scientologists, taken down during her "observation", prove that Lisa
McPherson, in a state of mental confusion, was repeatedly refusing food and water. She was
first brought to the hospital on the seventeenth day, where she died shortly after
arrival. The autopsy report cited the cause of death as a blood clot which had been
loosened by "too much bedrest and extreme dehydration." Clearwater's district
attorney is still looking into whether the Scientologists must answer before a judge.
The McPherson Case
The death of Lisa McPherson has long been a nightmare for the sect, which likes to present
itself as a beneficial and generally misunderstood "religious philosophy" in the
USA. Because of this, Bob Minton, quite consciously, shows up in front of the former Fort
Harrison Hotel in Clearwater, where the young lady suffered through her final days. Most
of the time Brian Anderson is waiting there for him. The speaker of the Clearwater
Scientologists compared Bob Minton, in a talk with German reporters, to a "Nazi who
finances anti-Jewish organizations."
American media, which had not published a Scientology story for years, either out of
disinterest, or fear of the suit-happy lawyers of the sect, have not let the case of Lisa
McPherson slip by. The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and several large TV
broadcasters have recently been reporting critically about the methods of the sect and
about the man who fights them so bravely.
Long Arm in the Caribbean
Bob Minton needs courage in this test of power, because the millionaire and his family
have also felt the anger of the Scientologists. Scientology members demonstrate in front
of Minton's city home in Boston's prestigious Beacon Hill. At a birthday party for one of
Minton's daughters, insulting leaflets with Bob Minton's picture on them were pressed into
the hands of the guests.
Private detectives in the employ of the Scientologists investigate Minton's relatives and
business partners for damaging material. A PI even finds his way to a secluded country
home of the family in the forests of New Hampshure, where he questioned the town police
about the millionaire in the name of the "church."
The Mintons learned, three weeks ago during a vacation in the Caribbean, how much money
the Scientologists expend in the fight against their opponents and how long the arm of the
sect reaches: upon their return from the beach, they found leaflets, which accused Bob
Minton of financing "hate and intolerance," on the cars and trees along the
boardwalk.
This kind of expenditure only strengthens Bob Minton in his resolve to lead his battle
against Scientology - regardless of how much power, will, and money this crusade will cost
him.
The author, Stephan Strothe, is the SAT-1 America correspondent
original German version translated
by Joe Cisar |
