Bart Simpson used to be an underachiever and proud of it. These days, it seems, he’s an Operating Thetan VII in the Church of Scientology and proud of that, too.

At least, that is what Scientologists were led to believe this week when they received an automated telephone message featuring the voice of Bart inviting them to the Scientology Flag World Tour, an event being held in Hollywood tomorrow.

The message was recorded by Nancy Cartwright, the 51-year-old voice actress and high-ranking Scientologist who has played Bart in The Simpsons since the show was created in 1987. “Yo, what’s happenin’ man,” begins the message. “This is Bart Simpson. Haha! Just kidding, don’t hang up, this is Nancy Cartwright.”   SOURCE ARTICLE

The construction began last summer, stirring up dust that wafted down this desert valley and into a small community of off-the-grid homes.

As many as 20 heavy trucks a day hauling construction materials and equipment rumbled down the valley's main gravel road, passing into a gate marked with a "No Trespassing" sign. Helicopters flew in sling loads of cargo. Powerful work lights lit up the valley at night.

Public planners in southwest Wyoming's Sweetwater County — a sagebrush expanse roughly the size of Massachusetts — say the contractor hired for the project has told them it intends to build a 22,000-square-foot underground storage vault to store documents.

Whose documents exactly? Apparently, the writings of the late L. Ron Hubbard, the Church of Scientology's founder, and other church records.   SOURCE ARTICLE

The Church of Scientology International has been named as the defendant in a test case that alleges they have repeatedly and knowingly transgressed state and federal labor laws in the United States.  The case was filed with the Superior Court of the State of California on the 5th of January 2009 and will be watched very closely by everybody interested in the future of the organisation created by L Rob Hubbard.  The plaintiff is Marc Headley, who goes online under the handle 'Blownforgood', who worked for Scientology producing video and promotional material for many years.

If the Church of Scientology International loses this case, they will be forced to pay minimum wage to all staff members (in line with the way other religious bodies pay their staff) - which could mean payments of over $4 million a week.  Not to mention restitutions that could amount to the tens, or even hundreds, of millions of dollars.

An excerpt from the case papers:

"This case involves unlawful business practices, including labor code violations, and presents a claim under the California Unfair Compensation Law.

Business and Professions Code 17200 makes essentially all business torts and statutory violations, including violations of federal law, independently actionable under the California body of law on unfair competition and business practices. The California Supreme Court has expressly ruled that labor code violations are actionable under this law.

The difference between what was paid as wages and what should have been paid under minimum wage and overtime laws qualifies as restitution damages under B&P Code 17203."

Guardian Light Publications will continue to follow this story and provide you with any updates that arise.  Whatever the outcome, there is no doubt that this is a pivotal case for Scientology as it exists today.  

For more information, the legal papers have been made available online and can be found at:

http://www.mediafire.com/?jizgod3lpjy=

John Travolta's son Jett, who died of a seizure last week at age 16, will live on as an immortal spiritual being, according to the beliefs of the Church of Scientology which counts the actor and his wife as prominent supporters.

Jett Travolta is expected to be given a Scientology service on Tuesday or Wednesday upon his family's return to their Florida home. An autopsy was performed on Monday, but officials in the Bahamas where he died did not release the results.   SOURCE ARTICLE

On Saturday, January 10, 2009, and also, Saturday, January 17, 2009 in numerous cities worldwide, the group 'Anonymous' will be staging its 12th monthly protest against the Scientology organisation.

This will complete a full year of internet-driven demonstrations stemming from Scientology's attempts at censorship in January 2008. Following this shameful debacle, the "Project Chanology" movement was born. February 2008 then ushered in the start of an ongoing series of non-violent protests by the group 'Anonymous'.   SOURCE ARTICLE

Tom Cruise has credited Scientology with helping him overcome his childhood dyslexia.

The Mission: Impossible actor told Spanish magazine XL Semanal that he was diagnosed with the learning disability when he was seven years old.   SOURCE ARTICLE

With the death of John Travolta's son, a Daytona Beach native, questions are being raised about the family's faith, Scientology, and Kawasaki disease -- a rare illness in children.

Two local doctors, who have treated children with Kawasaki disease, which Jett Travolta, 16, was diagnosed with as a toddler, said the illness affects ages 2 to 5.   SOURCE ARTICLE

The Church of Scientology continues to have its shady practices exposed within the public media.  Reality Based Community, a blog devoted to the discussion of freedom of speech and media law, has written up a synopsis of a new legal case being brought against the creators of one of the worlds most popular computer maintenance programmes.  The company is run by one of Scientology's most prolific donators and has just been accused of unfair business practices.

"Alexander Godelman and Marc Le Shay, two Diskeeper employees (Godelman was CIO and Le Shay hired as the Automation Planning Officer) have filed a complaint in the Los Angeles Superior Court alleging that Scientology training was a condition of employment and that their refusal to participate led to their dismissal. According to the complaint, "the working conditions and work environment at Diskeeper were inextricably intertwined with the Scientology religion such that a non-Scientologist cannot escape constant impositions of said religion." "  FULL ARTICLE LINK

Amazon UK has barred the sale of a new Scientology exposé penned by a former member of the church's "elite paramilitary group."

The British incarnation of the world's most popular etailer is no longer offering The Complex: An Insider Exposes the Covert World of the Church of Scientology, a 318-page tome from John Duignan, who spent 22 years inside the top secret organization.   FULL ARTICLE LINK

Germany is dropping its pursuit of a ban on the Church of Scientology after finding insufficient evidence of illegal activity.

However, domestic intelligence services will continue to monitor the group, security officials meeting in Postdam said Friday.

The German branch of the Los Angeles-based Church of Scientology has been under observation by domestic intelligence services for more than a decade.   FULL ARTICLE LINK