Scientology encounters rough waters in northern seas
We hope our American readers are enjoying their long holiday weekend and will not mind too much if we bring your attention to another part of the Scientology world today, namely Scandinavia.
First, some sobering news. On Tuesday, bad weather in the North Sea off the coast of Norway resulted in the capsizing of a replica Viking sailing ship, the Naddoddur, that six explorers were sailing from the Faroe Islands to re-create conditions from centuries earlier. Five of the six crew members were rescued, but a sixth member was trapped under the capsized boat and drowned.
The BBC and other outlets are reporting that 29-year-old Karla Dana was a member of the Florida chapter of the Explorers Club, that she had done fascinating work investigating the customs and language of an indigenous people in Costa Rica, and that she was engaged to be married and had recently started a graduate program in archeology.
Oddly, the BBC report we saw also initially indicated that Dana was a graduate of the Delphian school in Oregon, but the latest version of that story has taken that detail out for some reason.
In fact, Karla Dana was a 2014 graduate of the Delphian, Scientology’s well known boarding school, and online records indicate that she had gone “Clear” in 2022 and as recently as this May was pursuing training as a Scientology auditor.
Dana had become a member of the Explorers Club in 2023, and the Delphian noted in its alumni magazine that she had joined the likes of Amelia Earhart, Neil Armstrong, Teddy Roosevelt and Sir Edmund Hillary by becoming a member. But of course for any Scientologist, that founder L. Ron Hubbard was a member of the club would be the most important thing.
Karla Dana was a dedicated Scientologist, but she was clearly a talented and courageous young woman who had interests that were dedicated to exploration and understanding other cultures to the benefit of all. We are sorry that her life ended so early. Will the Church of Scientology itself say anything about it? It usually doesn’t. But perhaps the Delphian will recognize the tragic passing of its alumna.
In other news, Alex Barnes-Ross made us aware that there are big things happening in Denmark, where a two-part investigation in the publication Berlingske exposed the long hours and little pay that Scientologists endure in the Sea Organization in Copenhagen, where Scientology has its European headquarters.
The series focused on former Scientologist Cyril Chiquet, who said he signed his Sea Org contract at 16 and was working from 9 am to 11 pm seven days a week. As Alex points out, Denmark does not recognize Scientology as a religion, and so it is subject to labor laws that don’t allow those kind of working conditions.
As a result, Kim Aas, a member of the Danish parliament, told Berlingske that he plans to raise these concerns about Scientology at the next meeting of the legislature’s Church Committee and will also be contacting the country’s Ministry of the Church. Wrote Alex…
Former Minister for Children Mai Mercado is also backing plans to review Scientology’s practices, telling the newspaper “I believe that there are some social authorities who should go out and end Scientology. Better today than tomorrow. It’s a sect that is strongly culture-bearing, and why should it still be happening when it has been happening for so many years?”
Copenhagen has long been a major center for Scientology, with an Advanced Org there that draws Scientologists from all over Europe to pursue expensive upper-level services. What a blow it would be for David Miscavige for that country to focus this kind of governmental interest on what goes on there.
Also in the region, this time in Sweden, there’s news of a Scientology-flavored school being shut down, and specifically for teaching Scientology-based nonsense.
The Studemaskolan in Bandhagen, which had about 190 students, was shuttered last year because its curriculum, based on the Study Tech of L. Ron Hubbard, did not meet “the School Act’s requirements for a scientific basis, objectivity and versatility.”
You don’t say.
The school appealed that decision to the courts, but that appeal has now been rejected, again on the basis that the curriculum was deficient, and the court didn’t believe that it could be remedied. From a report in Mitt i, a Stockholm publication:
The Administrative Court, like the School Inspectorate, assesses that the shortcomings that have existed are so serious that the school lacks the conditions to comply with the regulations that apply to the education. Like the School Inspectorate, the court judges that the association does not meet the law's requirements for objectivity and versatility. It is also not considered that the association will be able to remedy the deficiencies, which concern central parts of the business.
The school’s parent association says it will appeal that ruling to a higher court.
But what a novel idea: That a government should step in to protect kids from the harmful pseudoscience nonsense of L. Ron Hubbard, and that the courts would agree with that decision.
Can we import some of that good sense from Sweden to the United States, pretty please?
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Source Code: Actual things founder L. Ron Hubbard said on this date in history
Avast, Ye Mateys: Snapshots from Scientology’s years at sea
Overheard in the Freezone: Indie Hubbardism, one thought at a time
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How sad. The Naddoddur was not fit to sail in any type of bad weather. No decking to keep the rain and water off the boat and with those nice sails, danger in any type of cross wind. RIP Karla Dana, you should have stayed home.
I like how Denmark and Sweden no longer ignore anything $cientological. Making the Clampire play nice with children and their parishioners is a thankful task. How in the Wide World of Sports can any $cieno school have 190 students? There is another good story in the marketing of that school.
Thanks so much for all those who send Tony news from around the world.
EU countries, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, France, Italy citizens have insight into Scientology's spin off groups which are well worth sharing with USA.
I have loved every ex EU Scientologist's book ever written. I hope more show up and get translated.