LOS ANGELES – A new private school founded by popular actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith has set off a Hollywood media frenzy over its alleged ties to the controversial “Church” of Scientology.
The New Village Academy in Calabasas, Calif., which the Smiths have poured nearly $1 million into building, will open Sept. 3 and use teaching methods developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.
Although both Smiths have claimed not to be Scientologists and the academy’s director school insists the facility has no religious affiliation, news of the school’s controversial curriculum has raised flags.
"There is no reputable educator anywhere who endorses [study technology]," said David S. Touretzky, a professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University and a critic of Scientology, according to the Los Angeles Times. "What happens is that children are inculcated with Scientology jargon and are led to regard L.R. Hubbard as an authority figure. They are laying the groundwork for later bringing people into Scientology."
In its report, the LA Times noted that several teachers at the New Village Academy are Scientology members, and the small school, which will initially have about 40 students, will provide financial assistance for about 80 percent of its enrollees and laptop computers and organic meals for every student, with the aim of grooming a "citizen of the world."
While acknowledging the school’s use of “study technology,” Jacqueline Olivier, who was hired to head the school, said it will also use many philosophies, including Montessori, Bruner and Gardner.
She also defended the use of “study technology,” explaining it is not something taught but a method of teaching.
"People tend to think study technology is a subject, but it is really just the way the subject is taught," Olivier said, according to the LA Times. "They then come to the conclusion that we are teaching Scientology when actually a methodology doesn't have anything to do with content."
A spokeswoman for the Church of Scientology, Karin Pouw, also defended teaching method, saying that is not religious and is widely used in schools around the world.
Aside from the school, Will Smith has also come under the microscope for his own possible ties to Scientology, which his close friend, actor Tom Cruise, is an active advocate of.
When production on his latest movie, "Hancock," finished around Christmastime last year, Smith reportedly passed out "wrap presents" to the film's crew members: vouchers good for a personality test at a local Scientology center.
And in a story in Men's Vogue in December, Smith favorably compared Hubbard's teachings to tenets of other major religions.
"I've studied Buddhism and Hinduism and I've studied Scientology through Tom," Smith said. "And nobody's saying anything different!
“[I]n all the experiences I've had with Tom and Scientology, like, 98 percent of the principles are identical to the principals in the Bible,” the 39-year-old actor claimed. “The Bible talks about your spirit being immortal, that you were created for existence beyond your physical body. Well, that's no different from Scientology! I don't think that because the word someone uses for spirit is thetan that the definition becomes any different."
Despite his favorable view of Scientology, Smith has denied reports that he and his wife were becoming Scientologists.
"I am a Christian. I am a student of all religions. And I respect all people and all paths," the Hollywood star told the New York Daily News.
The most recent controversy comes as Smith is in the midst of a career hot streak – 11 of the actor-producer's films have grossed more than $100 million at the box office.
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dongard wrote:
"SLopez
actually i have a very simple solution to this problem of indoctrination and authority figures. adults should not be allowed to enroll children under the age of 18 as members in their private societies. this would prevent cults, and thank god close the worst source of child abuse, sunday schools, which have terrorized children for centuries. let organized religion recruit adults but leave the kids alone."
ya, them horrible sunday school teachers, hangins not good enough fer em! burn em at the stake! draw an quarter em! put em in prison and torture em! O wait they do that now dont they?
Run a search dongard on Christian persecution and see what they do to those who only love others and there God. May open your eyes to what is really going on in this world, there is a real Spiritual war going on and everyone no matter who they are age or sex are involved.
www.persecution.com www.persecution.org www.barnabasfund.org www.chinaaid.org www.Christianaid.org www.worthynews.com
and there are multitudes more on the net, get informed and involved!! You dont understand what is going on, but you will...
SLopez
actually i have a very simple solution to this problem of indoctrination and authority figures. adults should not be allowed to enroll children under the age of 18 as members in their private societies. this would prevent cults, and thank god close the worst source of child abuse, sunday schools, which have terrorized children for centuries. let organized religion recruit adults but leave the kids alone.
Dongard post said:
"who's raising these flags. sorry i thought this was america and people had a right to their beliefs. maybe you and i would not agree with them. but all americans should unite in condemning anyone who tries to deny other americans the right to practice their beliefs. i think we should be looking much more critically at David S. Touretzky, a professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University and a critic of Scientology who according to the Los Angeles Times maintains "What happens is that children are inculcated with Scientology jargon and are led to regard L.R. Hubbard as an authority figure. They are laying the groundwork for later bringing people into Scientology." so what and if it is not criminal what they are doing then Touretzky is engaging in libel and possible criminal activity in violating these people's first amendment rights."
Then, his post was Flagged eleven times.
Published reports have said that the number of children in Medicaid getting drugs (atypical antipsychotic) has grown from more than 9,000 kids in 2000 to more than 18,000 in 2006. If that's a fact, flag that.
scientology is scary.
James 1:27 "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. "
igh "I read somewhere hubbard said he did it for the bucks. "
I guess everyone has their way of making a buck, some peddle religion much like falwell, robertson and hagee to name but a few merchants of religion.......
http://www.xenu.net/ has an scoop on scientology. very informative
another excerpt:
Ceremonies
The Church of Scientology provides Sunday services and social ceremonies for marriage, birth and death that are performed by an ordained Scientology minister.[110][111] Most, if not all, of the actual ceremonies used were written by L. Ron Hubbard and are collected in the book, Ceremonies of the Church of Scientology.[112]
At a funeral service, the minister speaks directly to the departing spirit and grants forgiveness for anything the deceased has done so he can begin life anew.[110]
We do not contest your right to go away. Your debts are paid. This chapter of thy life is shut. Go now, dear [deceased], and live once more in happier time and place.
another excerpt from wikipedia:
"Among these advanced teachings, one episode revealed to those who reach OT level III is the story of Xenu (sometimes Xemu), introduced as an alien ruler of the "Galactic Confederacy." According to this story, 75 million years ago Xenu brought billions of people to Earth in spacecraft resembling Douglas DC-8 airliners, stacked them around volcanoes and blew them up with hydrogen bombs. Their souls then clustered together, stuck to the bodies of the living and continue to do this today. Hubbard called these clustered spirits "Body Thetans," and advanced-level Scientologists place considerable emphasis on isolating these alien souls and neutralizing their ill effects."
jump in circles 3 times chant omm twenty times then send me yer money honey. and you too can be a ighotology graduate!
hubbard was one strange person read what it says in wikipedia. man he incorporated everything but the kitchen sink into his 'religion' space aliens, past lives, multiple past lives, karma and dharma,etc...
Heres and excerpt from wikipedia:
"According to Hubbard, some past traumas may have been deliberately inflicted in the form of "implants" used by extraterrestrial dictatorships such as Helatrobus to brainwash and control the population. Hubbard's lectures and writings include a wide variety of accounts of complex extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in earthly events, collectively described by Hubbard as "space opera." There is a huge Church of Spiritual Technology symbol carved into the ground at Scientology's Trementina Base that is visible from the air.[82] Washington Post reporter Richard Leiby wrote, "Former Scientologists familiar with Hubbard’s teachings on reincarnation say the symbol marks a 'return point' so loyal staff members know where they can find the founder’s works when they travel here in the future from other places in the universe."[83]
I read somewhere hubbard said he did it for the bucks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology
dongard: Do you remember the Jim Jones story of a man who murdered hundreds of men, women and children by making the drink kool-aid? Did they not see him as an "authority figure"? How about in the late 90's a man by the name of David Koresh? Were not many men, women and children killed by the name of being a Branch Davidian? They saw him as an "authority figure". If we could take history back, wouldn't we go above the law and take them out? Or would we let them die so that we may not violate their first amendment rights? I'm not saying that Scientologists will necessarily go to that extreme, but I think what Touretzky is simply saying is that we have seen the outcome of those who have followed the teachings of an "authority figure". L.Ron Hubbard being one of them.
who's raising these flags. sorry i thought this was america and people had a right to their beliefs. maybe you and i would not agree with them. but all americans should unite in condemning anyone who tries to deny other americans the right to practice their beliefs. i think we should be looking much more critically at David S. Touretzky, a professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University and a critic of Scientology who according to the Los Angeles Times maintains "What happens is that children are inculcated with Scientology jargon and are led to regard L.R. Hubbard as an authority figure. They are laying the groundwork for later bringing people into Scientology." so what and if it is not criminal what they are doing then Touretzky is engaging in libel and possible criminal activity in violating these people's first amendment rights.