Lost in translation. How the Scientology Organisation tried to recruit Irish translators.

Here is the report:

https://mobile.twitter.com/NuachtTG4/status/854400135928971264/video/1

A few weeks ago I received a call from Shane Ó Curraighín from the news/ Nuacht RTÉ/TG4 about the the SO plan to recruit translators. I told him about a report I read last year and he then sent me the letter he had sent them to ask for an interview. That was his first problem. Scientology hate journalists and even though they opened a new HQ on Merrion Square they in fact refuse to let anyone into the place. It seems to be a celebrity project of the type which celebrates places wherever LR Hubbard lived and they open a very expensive building but nothing goes on there.

 

Note in the picture below the crowd. All bused in for the day and those in uniform are not on a day outing from Ryanair but the officials also bused. I often phone the place and no one is there. Bizarre but very SO.

Hi Mike,

Below is the statement which the Church of Scientology provided. They’re offering €.09 per word they’re looking for translators to translate up to 5,000 words per week. They’ve said in their job advert that they hope to have the project completed by July.

We would like to ask you for your analysis on the Church’s campaign to have their text translated into Irish and your opinion on why they’re making a push with the translation.

Regards,

Shane

 

Shane is then referred to the Mission on Middle Abbey St and it is the the CCHR address he is given that is the organisation that regards all psychiatric drugs as arising from the Nazis. So they run an anti drug routine called Narconon but in reality it is not an anti drugs campaign but Scientology under another name.

http://www.dialogueireland.org/cchr/

— Original Message ——–
Subject: Nuacht RTÉ/TG4: Interview/Statement Request
Date: 2017-04-17 09:54
From: Ó Curraighín, Shane ocurraighins@rte.ie

To: “info@cchr.ie” info@cchr.ie

Alex, a chara,

My name is Shane Ó Curraighín, a reporter with Nuacht RTÉ/TG4 in
Galway, we spoke on the phone this morning. We are doing a report this
evening about the Church of Scientology campaign to hire Irish language
translators to translate texts and materials.

Would a Church of Scientology representative be available to do an
interview in Galway in Irish about your hiring campaign? If not, could
you provide a statement on the following questions?

Why has the Church of Scientology decided to translate texts into Irish?

How many Irish language translators do you require?

How many Irish language translators does the Church of Scientology have
working at the moment?

What is the rate of pay you are offering for Irish language translators
to translate your work?

Please contact me on 087 7667 853 if you have any queries about my
request.

Le meas,

Shane Ó Curraighín
SHANE Ó CURRAIGHÍN Iriseoir, Nuacht RTÉ/TG4

RTÉ

Baile na hAbhann, Co. na Gaillimh            M: +353 87 7667 853 E: ocurraighins@rte.iewww.rte.ie/news/nuacht

 Note address it is media relations? They don’t do relations.

From: Media Relations mediarelations@scientology.ie
Sent: 17 April 2017 19:44
To: Ó Curraighín, Shane
Subject: Re: Nuacht RTÉ/TG4: Interview/Statement Request

 

Shane, a chara,
Thank you very much for your enquiry.

Unfortunately, we don’t have someone available for an interview, so I will give you the following statement:

We have translated our religious works into over 50 languages and Irish is one of our newest projects, which we are very excited about.

Our Founder, L Ron Hubbard, had a special love for the Irish, from when he visited Dublin in 1956. He specifically went to Dublin to pilot seminars on the subject of personnel efficiency, with people from all walks of life. This resulted in the Church’s “Personal Efficiency Course” being adopted internationally as an introductory course in Scientology. (This is a course that teaches the underlying rules of life and how to apply these principles, so that the student can achieve security in their job, relationships, and all other areas of living.)

We also recognize the historical and cultural importance of the Irish language and the measures being taken to preserve its use. It is an honour for us to contribute to this resurgence by translating around 10 million words into Irish and have it available for study for the generations to come.

The number of translators is increasing almost daily and the final number isn’t known, as there is much to translate. Pay rate is 9 Euro cents per word for usually extensive projects.

We have had some encouraging responses from translators:

“I wish more Churches would translate their materials in our language.”

“Bless the Church of Scientology for investing in our language.”

“I am happy that Scientology is translating their materials into Irish. It is appreciated.”

“I was very interested to receive your message and learn of your interest in the Irish language. I commend the undertaking.”

“I would love to be involved in the project and I look forward to hearing more about what you need and the next steps. Again, I am delighted to be acquainted with you. What a wonderful venture in which you are involved.”

“I find this project interesting on many levels – in particular linguistically!!! Extremely interesting information.”

“The material from your organization is very interesting and it is very clear that your team is organized, adept and is determined to reach their goal. I feel it would be inspirational to be part of such a team and it would also be a creative way to give back to others.”

le meas,

Graeme Wilson

This very same letter was sent out last year when another journalist sought to interview someone. It is pure PR exercise and likely hides that they do not even have an Irish speaker.

John Duignan as one time insider knows the game plan that the Scientology Organisation (S.O.) has in mind for Irish speakers.

Lost in Translation? You Will Be If You Take up a Scientology Job Offer.

Updated on April 15, 2017

https://hubpages.com/politics/Lost-in-translation-You-will-be-if-you-take-up-a-Scientology-job-offer

Get a sense of John’s own story here.

https://dialogueireland.wordpress.com/2013/12/23/john-duignan-on-rtes-the-moment-of-truth/

I am aware that English to Irish translation gigs can be hard to come by. It is tough enough getting steady work in modern European languages, so the prospect of paid employment in your chosen field will be enticing to say the least. But be well warned; working in any capacity for Scientology under even its most innocuous sounding front groups, is a minefield from which few come out unscathed. ‘That way lies madness’ as the saying goes.

Liveline covers the opening of Scientology Org. HQ in Dublin.

Joe Duffy talked to Daniel about his near recruitment to the Scientology Org. Daniel does not seem to understand that they were trying to hook him big time. He has some insight into the goals of Scientology but seems rather naive as to his playing with fire. He does gain some insight into the new HQ on Merrion Square but in general does not grasp the enormity of what he has got himself involved with.

https://dialogueireland.wordpress.com/category/therapy-groups/scientology

One Irish Scientologist’s experience. ‘I realised this is a Flash Gordon story. This is science fiction from the 1950s.’ TODAY WITH SEAN O’ROURKE

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Photo Credit: Getty Images

One Irish Scientologist’s experience ‘I realised his is a Flash Gordon story. This is science fiction from the 1950s.’

TODAY WITH SEAN O’ROURKE NOVEMBER 8, 2016

Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Juliette Lewis…. You probably know where I’m going with this, but I’ll throw in a few more names anyway. Nancy Cartwright, Beck, Isaac Hayes.

What links these huge names from film and music?

A certain set of beliefs and practices dating back to 1954, and created by American author, L. Ron Hubbard.

Scientology has been relatively slow to catch on in Ireland but, in recent weeks, the Church of Scientology has opened a National Affairs Office in Dublin, from where its outreach services will look to address issues such as poverty and homelessness.

The church is not without its critics, and the opening of a new office in Dublin has raised questions over the type of activities it plans here in Ireland. On Today with Sean O’Rourke, reporter Brian O’Connell looked into the Irish operation. He spoke to John Duignan, a man who spent 21 years living and working with the Church of Scientology in various places around the world before leaving and coming back to Ireland.

“I joined the inner core of the operation. Rather than giving them money, I give them my life. I was called a Sea Org Member. They try and describe it as a monastic level. Really, it’s the clergy of Scientology, the upper-level clergy.”

While working with the Church of Scientology, John Duignan would have set up the kind of outreach offices that have now opened in Dublin. It was 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, said John, living communally with other members. He was based variously in America, Africa, England, Germany, Copenhagen, Australia. But living communally, “if you were very, very lucky, you might have 50 quid a week.”

“What Scientology is very good at doing is creating this kind of bubble. A bubble atmosphere like an echo chamber where the only voice you listen to is the voice of the great leader, L. Ron Hubbard.”

But, asked reporter, Brian O’Connell, very reasonably, “What was the problem with this?” Many people lead monastic lives and choose to do so using their own free will. A fair point, agreed John, but you do get caught in that bubble, where the organisation sets its own rules.

“They can set their own rules. They can set their own control mechanisms. But I was going to the library every day and I was able to get onto the Internet there and look up Scientology. I found out all about that alien stuff I didn’t know about before. A Fleet of DC8’s flew down to earth and dropped all of our spirits onto the primitive earth beings. I did know that stuff. I realised this is a Flash Gordon story. This is science fiction from the 1950s. And I realised I had to get out.”

From there, John set up a “ruse”, saying that he had to come back to the funeral of his uncle. But actually, he absconded to a separate place in Birmingham. “It sounds crazy,” he said, “but that’s the reality of it.”

According to John, the guys staffing the new Scientology offices here in Dublin are Sea Org members, as he was, and are very well trained in lobbying. That said, because of what he describes as an Irish “cuteness”, the movement has not caught on here.

Nowadays, John says, he is regarded as a “defrocked apostate” by the church. “I must say, I thanked Tom Cruise, because he helped me wake up”, he said. His decision to leave the church was prompted by an event in the UK, which featured the actor, Tom Cruise. There, having worked for 21 years, 24 hours a day, he was never told he had to “work harder”. That was the end of it, for John.

Reporter Brian O’Connell did ask for a tour of the offices and an interview with the Irish Church of Scientology, but these were not forthcoming. However, they did answer some of his e-mails.

On the functions of the new Irish office, they had this to say.

“In truth, the programmes will reach into society organically, according to such factors as need, interest and availability of resources. Many of the programmes have been operating for some years, in greater or lesser degree. For example, volunteers have distributed over 250,000 Truth About Drugs booklets and many DVDs over the past five or so years, to schools, service providers, shops and other public areas, and to general public. These are particularly popular as there seem to be few alternatives for effective drug education and our booklets are very much in demand.”

On the criticism from past members such as John Duignan, a spokesperson said:

“Every religion or organisation has its “ex-members”, a small minority of which are sometimes critical, for reasons best known to them.”

On why they have not applied for charitable status, they had this to say.

“We are a non-profit body. At the moment our focus is simply to utilise our community programmes to help others, with drug education, human rights education, criminal reform, helping the homeless, and more. Our doors are open every day for general public to come and find out what we do for themselves.”

The Irish Church of Scientology says that this membership is “several hundred in Ireland currently. It will definitely grow. However, as a note, membership is not required to avail of our community programmes.”

To listen to the full interview, click here.

---

Here are the questions put by Brian O’Connell to the National HQ.

 

Q 1.  I note in your press release the remit of the National Affairs Office is described  “a centre for the Church’s outreach across Ireland. Through these offices, the Church will assist in meeting both physical and spiritual needs, and in addressing social ills from drugs, to poverty to homelessness.”

Can you be specific on what exactly you are talking about here in terms of outreach – do you intend to provide for example inpatient treatment services? State funded programmes? This might be an opportunity for you to outline the work you are doing in this regard in Ireland already? Are you looking to partner with the HSE, Dept of Education etc to deliver programmes and projects as you have done in other countries?

 

In truth, the programmes will reach into society organically, according to such factors as need, interest and availability of resources. Many of the programmes have been operating for some years, in greater or lesser degree. For example, volunteers have distributed  over 250,000 Truth About Drugs booklets and many DVDs over the past five or so years, to schools, service providers, shops and other public areas, and to general public.  These are particularly popular as there seem to be few alternatives for effective drug education and our booklets are very much in demand. 

 

Likewise, The Way to Happiness booklets and DVDs are very popular where they have been used.  One example was in one particular city in 2009, where these booklets were distributed with the help of local business people to pretty well all households in the city – over 30,000 in total.  (Details vague to respect the privacy of the people who helped us with this.) 

The National Office will not be providing inpatient treatment services.  It will be involved in setting up a Narconon drug rehabilitation at some point in the future. We consider this vital, given there are only a very few beds in Ireland available for drug-free detox – only 27 per this report, and with 21,000 heroin users alone, and heroin injection centres being considered “a step in the right direction”, it is folly, short-sighted and shameful for us collectively as a society not to provide ample beds for the probable thousands of users who are desperate to be drug-free.  With a sampling of “3,300 heroin addicts on HSE methadone for more than 10 years at a cost of €20M-a-year” and drug-free detox costing a fraction of that, it is quite simple to do “do the maths”. I.e assuming the Herald statistics are correct, €60,606 per each addict to keep them on Methadone for 10 years – and, of course, most are on it for the remainder of their shortened lives.  In the words of Professor Neil McKeganey of Glasgow Drug Research Centre, the “Methadone programme ‘is a black hole’” 

Q 2. There was some controversy in recent weeks around the Drug Free World Campaign, and some Councillors and Mayors who met with advocates of this project not knowing (they say) its links to Scientology. Can you outline why these meetings took place and the reasons behind them? Why wasn’t it made clear at the outset that the campaign was funded by the Church of Scientology?

 

The purpose of the Drug Free World Campaign, and of visits to different cities, is of course to raise awareness of the truth about drugs and how they can destroy lives and communities.  We have enormously positive feedback to the campaign in every area it goes, as the booklets we distribute are filling a vacuum of quality materials on the subject, and there is no city or town that escapes this devastating problem.   The materials themselves do not mention any religion as the purpose is purely drug education. We do whenever appropriate mention that the main sponsor of the materials is the Church of Scientology, and this is routinely the case with dignitaries who come to give their support.  I will not be drawn into discussion about any particular mayors or deputy mayors for obvious reasons.  

Q 3. Some ex-members claim the Church of Scientology is a “cult” and that it can be very controlling, and that members find it very hard to leave afterwards. They are critical of the Sea Org lifestyle, and lack of free choice, and they claim that aside from beliefs, that Scientology is a “dangerous” organization. How would you respond to that?

 

Every religion or organisation has it’s “ex-members”, a small minority of which are sometimes critical, for reasons best known to them.  We’re here to help and the vast majority of people appreciate that.  

 

Q 4. Is there any plan to apply for charitable status in Ireland now that the organization will be moving into more outreach type services?

We are a non-profit body. At the moment our focus is simply to utilise our community programmes to help others, with drug education, human rights education, criminal reform, helping the homeless, and more.   Our doors are open every day for general public to come and find out what we do for themselves. 

 Q 5. Could you estimate how many members of the Church there are in Ireland and with the new office, do you think the membership will grow?

 

There are several hundred in Ireland currently. It will definitely grow. However, as a note, membership is not required to avail of our community programmes. 

https://twitter.com/oconnellbrian Audio: http://audioboo.fm/BrianOConnell

Scientology Non Church Organisation opens in Dublin with a lot of blow ins

“Official 1984 Orwellian presentation of Joycean redefinition of language signifying the opposite of what happened.” The Scientology Organisation has been in Ireland for 50 years but has not too date been able to obtain charitable status in the three areas which define a charity.

1. Furtherance of Religion.
2. Relief of poverty.
3. Advancement of Education.

Why have they not been able to obtain these from the Irish Revenue Commissioners and from the Charities Regulatory Authority?

Because their religion is infinity and it is is used as front to make money, make more money and get others to make more money for them.

They do not relieve poverty but in fact make many poor by taking money off them. They have no programmes to assist the poor or homeless. What they in fact call education is mental manipulation and mind control. Anyone in their right mind will actually be trained to speak a new language and have a totally other vocabulary which is Scientologese

Scientology in Ireland: ‘a spy network setting honey traps’ by Mario Daneels

Irish Times Saturday October 15, 2016

The Church of Scientology is opening a ‘national affairs office’ on Merrion Square. A former member of the organisation warns that it may try to influence politicians and other public figures

The Church of Scientology’s new national affairs office in Merrion Square, Dublin, just opposite the Oscar Wilde statue, officially opened on Saturday October 8th

Everything you wanted to know about Scientology in Ireland

As Scientology opens its National HQ this Saturday we thought we would republish a document produced by Matthew McKenna in 2012 for the Off Lines Conference in Dublin. Here you will be able to read about what Scientologists are about and the reason Merrion Square is important in the mythology of Scientology history. He had an hynoptic personality and could chat and draw people into his circle. I was told by a person who owned a B&B in Ballsbridge that the Special Branch came to the house and told him to leave the state.

https://dialogueireland.wordpress.com/2016/10/05/countdown-to-the-sea-org-scientology-business-office-opening/

This was the article that alerted this was about to happen:

https://dialogueireland.wordpress.com/2016/09/26/scientology-in-ireland-is-nearly-dead-heres-how-tom-cruise-the-gang-plan-to-bring-it-back/