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Celebrity Centre

Scientology Celebrity Centre on Franklin Avenue in Hollywood, California
Formation	1955
Type	Scientology recruitment
Headquarters	Hemet, California, USA
Chairman of Religious Technology Center	David Miscavige
Website	Scientology.org/

Celebrity Centres are Church of Scientology facilities that are open to the public but serve mostly artists and celebrities and other "professionals, leaders and promising new-comers in the fields of the arts, sports, management and government", and "for those are the people who are sculpting the present into the future". The Celebrity Centre International was established in Hollywood, California, in 1969 by Yvonne Gillham, a Sea Org member who worked with L. Ron Hubbard. Since then, other centres have been established in New York, London, Paris and a number of other cities across the world.

The Church often quotes L. Ron Hubbard as saying that A culture is only as great as its dreams and its dreams are dreamed by artists, citing this as the reason that Celebrity Centres were established — to create a good environment for "artists". Critics of Scientology point to the fact that Hubbard launched "Project Celebrity" in 1955 to recruit celebrities into the church and say that the centres were established for this purpose, because celebrity members give Scientology the publicity it needs to recruit more members. According to former publicity officer Robert Vaughn Young, "One of my jobs was to get celebrities active, to convince them to hustle and promote Scientology". The head of the Los Angeles Celebrity Centre is Tom Davis, the son of actress and Scientologist Anne Archer.

Church's Position

Despite the existence of the dedicated celebrity centers and numerous witnesses of former scientologists, in the interview to MSNBC program Countdown, Mike Rinder who was a commanding officer of the Office of Special Affairs during that time, vigorously denied the existence of a policy to actively recruit high-ranking celebrities.

Violent Incident

On November 23rd 2008 Mario Majorski a man who had previous dealings with the Church of Scientology was shot dead by the Celebrity Centre's Security guards while wielding samurai swords and attempting to injure the centre's gauards. Majorski was pronounced dead at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center shortly after. "Hundreds of people were eating brunch or doing other activities at the time" said Scientology spokesman Tom Davis. Majorski was a Scientologist in the early 1990's however left according to the Tom Davis fifteen years prior to the Incident. Majorsk in 1993 with another man sued a psychiatry professor from the University of California for criticizing the Church of Scientology because of discrimination, however the case was weak and hence fore dropped. This Incident was not the only unusual behavior in Majorski. On November 2nd 2008 Majorski disrupted a Mormon service by swearing and "moving around a lot", Majorski was arrested for disorderly conduct and trespassing. Majorski was also arrested for "unlawful use of a weapon when Less than a month before his death when was arrested for swinging an ax at an Auto Club employee who was bringing him gas for his car. Majorski had threatened the Church several times in 2005 these threats were reported to the FBI and local authorities. Majorski's Motives are yet to be known however he did file for Bankruptcy in 2000. Majorski is being viewed as having previous "mental Issues" as shortly after the Incident. Police are so far regarding the guard's actions as Justifiable, Although the Security guard who shot Majorski has been Detained .

See also

• Rehabilitation Project Force

Notes

1. Scientology and Celebrities | Scientology Lies
2. Leiby, Richard N. (1994-08-09). "One Theory On Michael-Lisa: It's All A Plot". Washington Post. Seattle Times. Retrieved 2008-01-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
3. Morton, Andrew (2008). Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 243, 317. ISBN 0312359861.
4. Derakhshani, Tirdad (2006-08-26). "Cruise camp: sorry about Shields". The Philadephia Inquirer.
5. Staff (2006-08-25). "Tom 'Incensed' Sumner's Wife". New York Post. N.Y.P. Holdings, Inc. p. 14.
6. Official transcript for Countdown show (May 12, 2006)
7. YouTube video with part of the show related to Scientology
8. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gr29VycNJh5j8QuZDOFWlwliF7TAD94LJFP80
9. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article5223393.ece
10. http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2008/nov/24/ca-scientology-shooting-112408/?zIndex=15671
11. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_11057663?nclick_check=1
12. http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-scientology25-2008nov25,0,2646875.story

References

• Sappell, Joel (1990-06-25). "The Courting of Celebrities". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-01-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
• Frantz, Douglas (1998-02-13). "Scientology's Star Roster Enhances Image". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-01-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• Di Matteo, Enzo (2000-01-13). "Ex-Scientology celebs recall swingin' 70s". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2008-01-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• Huus, Kari (2005-07-05). "Scientology courts the stars". MSNBC. Retrieved 2008-01-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• Goodyear, Dana (2008-01-14). "Château Scientology". Letter from California. The New Yorker. Retrieved 2008-01-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

Template:Wikinewshas

• "Scientology Celebrity Centre International". Church of Scientology International.
• "Ecclesiastical Structure: "Celebrity Centre Churches"". A presentation of the Celebrity Centres churches. Church of Scientology.

• Scientology organizations