Clearwater, Florida: Where Scientology Reigns Supreme
Written by OddCulture on September 24th, 2007 in Florida, Religion, celebrities, culture, travel.
Join the Sea Organization! (image from Operation Clambake)
CNN has a story, through the Associated Press, which states that “Clearwater is to Scientologists what Salt Lake City is to Mormons, what Mecca is to Muslims.”
The science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard and his associates, who for years operated from aboard a yacht at sea, secretly bought a historic hotel in a dying Clearwater downtown area in 1975.
The mysterious newcomers made waves almost immediately with secretive, aggressive expansion and — according to church documents seized by the FBI — a covert plot to discredit their enemies and “take control” of the city.
Today, downtown Clearwater is an international Scientology stronghold and a destination for elite members (including celebrity devotees like Tom Cruise and John Travolta) who come from all over the world for the highest levels of the church’s spiritual training.
The empire’s thumbprint on the downtown corridor is considerable and conspicuous, from the uniformed church workers on the streets every day to the two dozen or so Scientology-owned buildings and other properties in the low-slung skyline, many of them fully or partially exempt from property taxes.
Scientology’s gem is the new seven-story Flag Building, which covers a full city block just down the street from the county courthouse where the Terri Schiavo legal drama played out a few years ago. Also known as the “Super Power Building,” it will be the largest Scientology structure in the world when completed late next year and is expected to draw thousands more visiting believers to Clearwater.
Flag BuildingBy church tallies, around 12,000 Scientologists live and work in and around Clearwater now.
Parishioners pay hundreds and even thousands of dollars for the auditing services and progress through various levels of “Operating Thetan.” Those seeking to achieve the highest “OT” levels come to Clearwater, where the church inhabits the 80-year-old Fort Harrison Hotel and a cluster of other beautifully restored buildings.
Get Your OT On at the Fort Harrison Hotel
According to the St. Petersburg times, scientologists own more than 200 shops, restaurants, service outlets and small businesses in and around Clearwater’s downtown.
“It’s their town,” said lawyer Lou Kwall, whose downtown office afforded a front row seat to watch the church evolve through the decades. “The reality is Scientology is much more in charge of downtown Clearwater than anyone ever anticipated it would be.”
September 25th, 2007 at 1:39 am
Who recalls Clearwater before the Scientologists came to town. I do. I visited my mom in New Port Richey in the early 1970’s. and you could barely find a pulse in downtown Clearwater.
Anyone who complains about the Scientologists is ignorant of the principles of business and growth. If it’s unusual to see well-dressed men and women in the streets of downtown, think what it would be like to look down those streets and see empty buildings and … no one at all.
September 25th, 2007 at 9:50 am
The article of Clearwater being the mecca for Scientologists is unfortunate. When you reach the end, it appears the acceptance of the Scientologists by the citizens and city officials seems to be based on how much money they bring to the community. There is nothing saying whether it is good or bad in the spiritual sense.
September 25th, 2007 at 12:01 pm
According to the consensus here… WHO needs any organization, religious group or otherwise? Just make up your own history, facts & write your own holy book. Be your own leader & save yourself. Be your own truth & inspiration. No need for traditions or relationships with others. No need for learning how to live in a way that brings good things to your life now and in the future. Just do whatever you want, the way you want, & with whom you want (as long as it doesn’t “hurt” anyone). Declare yourself god. IF this way of life appeals to you, then GET OFF THE REST OF THE RELIGIOUS WORLD’S ASSES! Why bother criticizing & mocking them? They tolerate your agnostic or atheistic ass. IF you’re SO RIGHT & SO GREAT, then you at least ought to be intelligent enough to tolerate other people who don’t see it the way you do.
September 27th, 2007 at 8:26 am
Who was it that went to prison for her part in the largest infiltration of Government Offices in U.S History in 1977, and what was her relgion?
What was the religion of the persons that perpetrated the largest ponzi scheme fraud in U.S history?
Who was convicted for fraud in absentia in France 1977?
What religion has a disconnection policy?
What religious philosophy dictates that telling lies (acceptable truth) is okay?
What was the religion of those who forged bomb threats in an attempt to utterly destroy a writer who wrote a not so flattering book about said religion?
What was the religion started by the professed war hero who was actually a failure in the Navy that only ever recieved the requisite medals all other serviceman recieved from WWII?
What religion set about trying to destroy the late Mayor of Clearwater Gabriel Cazares?
What was the religion of those who held a woman 17 days in isolation and did nothing until she was dead?
What was the religion of the aforementioned woman?
There is one common denominator in every instance of the above……SCIENTOLOGY