Scientologists vs. New Yorker: Parody Hits Out At Lawrence Wright (PHOTO)

The Church of Scientology is hitting back at the New Yorker with their own parody of the magazine, entirely devoted to criticizing Lawrence Wright's journalism.

Scientologists were near the headquarters of Conde Nast to pass out copies of Freedom, a 51-page magazine composed of articles critical of Lawrence Wright for his blockbuster February story about director Paul Haggis' resignation from the Church in 2009. The style of the fonts and illustrations in the labor-intensive production mimic the New Yorker's.

It's not the first time that Freedom has been used to attack a member of the media. In July 2010, an issue was devoted entirely to Anderson Cooper, who had aired a critical series about Scientology.

The cover reads "The New Yorker: What A Load Of Balderdash," and the magazine is even replete with a three-part DVD that picks Wright's journalism methods apart, calling the New Yorker as a "tabloid in literary clothing" and blasting its "crack crew of fact checkers." (The New Yorker, no doubt, would disagree.)

The magazine's main story attempts to discredit Wright's research and the New Yorker's fact-checking process, even naming the staff members who were involved. Among the Church's allegations are that Wright lifted his research from questionable websites and that the magazine didn't consider the forty-eight binders full of corrections that the Church provided.

The Church attacks Wright's story from all angles, from his use of what they call "faceless and masked sources" to a mathematical breakdown of the facts the Church says the article got wrong. It claimed that Wright had admitted the only reason his editors signed off on a story about Haggis was his "one-time connection to the Church," and that the writer had a book deal on the subject that posed a conflict of interest.

PHOTO:

Comments

[knosiswar]

11:16 AM on 09/06/2011

One person's alien is another person's god!

Joseph Smith talked with an alien, Muhammed talked with an alien, Jesus and his mother both fathered by an alien, Moses led out of Egypt by a spaceship (column of smoke and fire).

Not sure why so many alien followers are so hard on Scientology?

[Hammerlock]

10:44 AM on 09/06/2011

The only thing more laughable than scientology propaganda is their zombie-like reflexes. The New Yorker piece was released what, February?

[behavingbadly]

05:52 PM on 09/05/2011

If scientologists were any more thin-skinned, you could take their x-rays with a flashlight - and they seem to have no idea what a "parody" is, even though they belong to one.

[motoGpifupleez]

04:06 PM on 09/05/2011

Scientology: Just another moneymaking fairy tale.

[knosiswar]

11:19 AM on 09/06/2011

They still have a lot to learn from the pagan Constantine's universal sun god religion Catholicism!

[J Osteen]

11:45 AM on 09/18/2011

Topic here: Evil and Death-dealing CULT of $cientology.


Your comments: Venal and transparently-pro-Cult.

[BoFo]

10:20 PM on 09/04/2011

Typical Cult Dynamics
+ Drunk-With-­Power Leadership
+ Fraudulent Self-Improvement Claims
+ Placebo Effect
+ Pyramid Scheme
+ Escalating Costs as you Climb the Ladder
+ Gullible Celebs with Fragile, Easily-Manipulated Egos and Money to Burn
+ The Wow-Factor of a Science-Fiction Backstory
+ Fake Religious Content for Tax Exemption
_______________________________________

= Scientology

[jack27]

04:12 PM on 09/05/2011

Add to the list
+ Total intolerance of any dissent or criticism, whether from within or without

[Patricia Russell]

07:59 PM on 09/04/2011

The New Yorker must have pushed a lot of buttons, which means now I have to read it. I'm so use to seeing the Uniforms walking around Hollywood, I never even notice them anymore.

[ihsxps]

01:06 PM on 09/06/2011

I saw one of them about ten years ago, near the Scientology headquarters on Sunset.

It was getting dark, and she was standing there with absolutely nobody around, waiting to talk to anybody, and shivering in the cold. If felt so sorry for her. If she had been homeless, I could have given her a couple bucks for a hot cup of coffee or something. But as it was, they were really dark times for me, too, and the last thing I wanted was to end up just like her. Even worse, I was afraid any encouragement I would give her would only help her fullfil the requirements for the next step on her pathway to spiritual desolation.

Still, I wish I had had the presence of mind to ask her to come in out of the cold.

[rodsbadhairday]

05:24 PM on 09/04/2011

This is a sick cult.
Some friends thought about buying a condo in
Clearwater till they realized the whole town is
hostage to the C of S.

[alumcreek]

01:06 PM on 09/04/2011

Too many people makes excessively handsome incomes from the church to permit any stories that might impede recruitment.

L. Ron paid himself about $2 million a week during the last year(s) of his life. Why? I have no idea.

The administration of this church makes the Vatican look like a bunch of slackers who lack any interest in controling the flock.

[Mary Schumacher]

09:42 AM on 09/04/2011

Methinks they do protest too much.

[librlsun]

08:28 PM on 09/03/2011

Church of Scientology & Faux Noise should merge. They complement each other so well.

[shag11]

07:41 PM on 09/03/2011

This cult is always attacking somebody.

[Saxton]

05:46 PM on 09/03/2011

Another money making scam that has no problem finding gullible people so emotionally and mentally needy that they will pay anything to be told that their great.

[rjhuntington]

08:22 AM on 09/03/2011

Scientology: a Boatload of Balderdash

[Sid Pena]

05:03 AM on 09/03/2011

I sincerely believe that, like all Scottish food, scientology is based on a dare. I dare you to come up with a religion so insane that nobody would believe in it. Boy howdy, did that one backfire!

But then again, one form of lunacy is just as good as another, I suppose.

[markscoular]

02:44 PM on 09/05/2011

Just like the TeaParty or John Kyl

[PatientZeroBeat]

10:37 PM on 09/05/2011

I wonder when the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster will enter that status. It's actually way less adventurous in its narrative than Scientology's.

Praise be to His Noodly Appendage.

[Thaag Tidestalker]

07:40 AM on 09/06/2011

Ramen!

[mcartri]

09:48 PM on 09/02/2011

I can't decide whether to believe in Scientology or Paul Bunyan & the Blue Ox? I'm leaning toward the Lumberman & Ox, as I have faith that Scotch tape(3M Co.) sticks to my soul.