it is prudent to be cautious of all religious cults, wherther it be scientology, opus die or more acceptable cults such as catholocism

Everybody witness the other side of the coin the supposedly 'neutral' BBC don't want licence-fee payers to see....oh how I laughed!

Looks like this particular journalist had an agenda to me & didn't like it when he couldn't force the answers out of his 'quarry' the editor demanded of him!

Shame!

There seems to be very little difference between investigative reporting and provocation at times when it comes to religious 'cults'.
A timely reminder.

He was acting like a spolit brat! Journalist? I don't think so...

(Oooh, only 48 hours behind the national news, not bad.)

Scientology isn't as big in Britain as in America so some of you might not know about this. The standard practice of this so-called "church", handed down by their leader L. Ron Hubbard, is to go totally on the offensive whenever someone tries to investigate or critisise them. Their remit is to dig up as much dirt as they can and fling it as far as they can to disgrace or destroy the credibility of any witnesses or complainants, using dirty tricks or outright lies where necessary.

You can see in the few clips of this event that have been shown so far, the scientologist crowd using multiple camcorders to try and catch out this journalist. They apparently followed him around LA, spied on him at his hotel, they even had people call on his family and neighbours here in Britain. Right before the rant you may have seen on t¿internet they had been badgering him in their ¿museum¿ on psychology for over an hour. He may be a journalist, but he is also only human and he lost it. He admits this without reservation. And for an organisation that has constantly attacked the use of the internet when used to spread info about them, the scientologists are damn quick to use it themselves when they want to. Chris and Dawn, I suggest you try reading up on this supposed religion, and the way it deals with criticism before you have another go at the BBC or John Sweeney.

I lived in America for some years and have had dealings with people from the Church of Scientology. Please do not condemn this journalist until you have met and had dealing with these crazed people.Everybody is wrong except them. They will tell the most awful lies to discredit anyone who opposess them.

Please dont show me BBC employees ranting on TV.Put me on TV and I'll rant for free...and Religion aint the top of my list...The Licence fee is my beef.."BBC ARE YOU LISTENIN"

Has there been a religion which hasn't, after investigation, found to be corrupt??

Without meaning offence to followers of religions, i would ban all religions. So many wars and general violence is due to religion and to say it's not, it is because of individuals actions, frankly doesn't wash. From my experiences, religion equals money, power and corruption. Not to forget brainwashing. Who would want to worship that?

I watched the programme and although John was wrong, the whole affair made a very good point...
These scientologists were given the opportunity to explain but just acted in a sinister, devious fashion.

He lost his temper, which was unfortunate, but frankly, having seen the documentary, I'm not surprised. Apart from the fact that Sweeney had just spent 90 minutes being exposed to images of torture in concentration camps and being told that psychiatric medicine was to blame for the Holocaust, the representative from the 'Church' of Scientology had already been very aggressive and bordering on the threatening towards Sweeney on a number of occasions and Sweeney and his team were constantly followed, stalked and harassed. Their attempts to interview non-Scientologists were interrupted or sabotaged and their right to criticise or question was constantly curtailed. The Church of Scientology also spread a number of outright lies about the BBC crew, claiming that they had staged a demonstration and making a number of other false claims.

By contrast, the BBC gave the Scientologists ample opportunity to have their say, and filmed a number of interviews with famous Scientologists speaking positively about their beliefs. However, the Church of Scientology then refused to allow the BBC to screen the interviews, despite the fact that the BBC wanted to show them for reasons of balance.

Technobabble - the BBC don't like it when they are on the receiving end of such harassement & badgering and they obviously employ people with self-control issues too - they are in no position to lecture any of us (as they seem so fond of doing these days).

I for one am happy to see their 'unbiased' & 'unimpeachable' facade torn down from time to time.

:D

Technobabble, I have read up on the CoS and you are absolutely correct. As for John Sweeney, losing his temper tells me one thing - he really believes that the CoS are as bad as they appeared on the film. I am more concerned when journalists just appear to be going through the motions to paint whatever picture the producer is after.

Has he lost his temper? He seems pretty cool between the shouts - seeing other footage on youtube - it's almost (subconsiously perhaps) as if he is yelling over the other guy so the CoS cannot edit together their version of things, As they would no doubt do with the car park footage. Thought the John Travolta heckling at the priemer was a bit pathetic.

If you don¿t like the BBC and enjoy watching them get embarrassed then that¿s your gig. I would rather see past this admittedly stupid mistake by the individual journalist to look at the bigger question: Just how far is this ¿church¿ prepared to go to hide what they are really up to?

Plenty of other good people have some serious reservations about scientology and most of them have similar stories of spying and harassment by the scientology crowd. If you allow yourself to be distracted by this one incident, then aren¿t you dancing to their tune??

Technobabble - I personally couldn't give two hoots about Scientology nor any other religion, if you don't like them then the best thing is to ignore them.

However I DO have a problem with the left-wing & liberal BBC making themselves out to be the 'bastion of truth' and will readily admit I enjoy seeing them take such a hit. Can you imagine the BBC ever going after Islam the way they have gone after Scientologists? No, me neither....

Simply a CULT, bullies, odd balls, and not a religion in any manner,yes the reporter lost it, and should not have done, but he was correct to bring this CULT to peoples attention. a weird set up in a weird America!

I can't see how the BBC is left-wing at all.Clarkson,Andrew Neill,Michael Portillo all have prominent space on the beeb,hardly a collection of pinkos.Also public broadcasting is bound by strict rules re impartiality,that is unlike our newspapers which are overwhelmingly right wing.Do people who hammer the BBC,actually get upset that it isn't more like The Daily Mail?Maybe if it laid into the asylum seekers,the gays,the nhs and the poor a bit more,and played "Land of hope and glory",on the hour,every hour, then those people would be happier.You right wingers can't have it all your own way.Stop giving it loads about liberal conspiracies, everytime the beeb shows a bit of balance...what do you want a right-wing dictatorship?Don't answer that last question,please.As for John Sweeney,I think he responded as a human being to extreme provacation,and compared to Tom Cruise he seems a fairly together person.

no more or less of a cult than muslims, catholics or church of england. Just less accepted.

Colin, since when do catholics or c of e stalk you in your hotel, make threatening comments and follow you in your car???? I think that this scientology lark needs investigating further - i can see why so many so called stars dont say anything against it and pay as much money into it as they do, as i would imagine they would be blackmailed too. A sinister cult if ever i saw one.