strange letter

[eFestivals]

I recieved a letter thru the post a few days back which I've only just got around to opening.

It has a letter written by 'anon' along with some prints and photocopies of stuff .... which is basically saying that End of the Road is run by Scientologists for the benefit (somehow?) of Scientology.

I've done the googles that the letter suggests and there's certainly stuff out there which makes this link, tho the vast majority of that stuff is probably from the same person or people who sent me this letter so I'm not entirely sure how valid that stuff is as references.

Does anyone know anything about this, or know if there's any truth to any of it?

[zahidf]

I have a few friends into the anti-scientology movement, i'll ask them if they are aware of it.

Seems unlikely i would have thought: when i went, there was nothing compelling me to fear an alien conqueror. And absolutely no pictures of Tom Cruise.

Not that it matters if the organisors are scientologists of course. Unless it makes Beck playing more likely!

[eFestivals]

I have a few friends into the anti-scientology movement, i'll ask them if they are aware of it.

Seems unlikely i would have thought: when i went, there was nothing compelling me to fear an alien conqueror. And absolutely no pictures of Tom Cruise.

Not that it matters if the organisors are scientologists of course. Unless it makes Beck playing more likely!

the letter and the stuff I've read online isn't suggesting that it's being used for recruitment.

The's a suggestion (I've not checked if it's true) that the festival made huge losses in its early years which have somehow been covered, with a belief that they've been covered by the scientologist movement.

There's also stuff which says that there's acts that play who are in the programme by which aren't announced prior to the festival, and that these acts are scientologist acts.

I've no idea whether any of this is true, but someone has certainly gone to a lot of trouble to make me aware of this stuff.

[Spliffman]

I recieved a letter thru the post a few days back which I've only just got around to opening.

It has a letter written by 'anon' along with some prints and photocopies of stuff .... which is basically saying that End of the Road is run by Scientologists for the benefit (somehow?) of Scientology.

I've done the googles that the letter suggests and there's certainly stuff out there which makes this link, tho the vast majority of that stuff is probably from the same person or people who sent me this letter so I'm not entirely sure how valid that stuff is as references.

Does anyone know anything about this, or know if there's any truth to any of it?

[zahidf]

There's also stuff which says that there's acts that play who are in the programme by which aren't announced prior to the festival, and that these acts are scientologist acts.

[eFestivals]

Very strange indeed. Is there any chance of us reading the letter for ourselves? ;-)>

it's a very long letter, but if I get the time and inclination I'll type it up or photo it later and put it online.

[eFestivals]

They have secret acts playing the Thursday who aren't announced. I doubt allo darlin, Admiral Fallow, Darren Hayman and Herman Dune are scientologist acts though...

According to this anti-scientologist website here:-

https://whyweprotest.net/community/threads/end-of-the-road-festival-england-has-scientology-connections.47011/page-2#post-2006938

... two 'scientologist' acts that have played secretly are Derek T Booth (2010), and Holy Crutches (2011).

-----------

I just recieved an anonymised phone call from a person who claimed to be the sender of the letter. I explained that I was somewhat bemused by the letter and what I'd read and asked whether there was anything more to any of these allegations, and was told no - simply that they wished to make me and the wider public aware of the links between the festival and scientology, and that people are scared to speak out about scientology.

It's all a bit weird. I don't really get it. To me, all religious are as bad as each other - they sucker people in with lies and cause them to live their lives deluded.

[zahidf]

According to this anti-scientologist website here:-

https://whyweprotest...-2#post-2006938

... two 'scientologist' acts that have played secretly are Derek T Booth (2010), and Holy Crutches (2011).

-----------

I just recieved an anonymised phone call from a person who claimed to be the sender of the letter. I explained that I was somewhat bemused by the letter and what I'd read and asked whether there was anything more to any of these allegations, and was told no - simply that they wished to make me and the wider public aware of the links between the festival and scientology, and that people are scared to speak out about scientology.

It's all a bit weird. I don't really get it. To me, all religious are as bad as each other - they sucker people in with lies and cause them to live their lives deluded.

[zahidf]

^{Ok, i've heard back from my friends in the anti-scientologist movement.}

^{The website and person who they think you've been talking is ( putting it diplomatically) a bit of a loose cannon. He kinda see's the hand of scientology in things which aren't there. So i wouldn't take too much stock in what he says.}

[Kizzie]

Could belong to this group ?

Anonymous

The Internet group Anonymous has arranged demonstrations around the UK from February 2008 onwards as part of Project Chanology, its worldwide campaign to expose the Church of Scientology's "illegal and immoral behaviour".^[146][147] They wear Guy Fawkes masks inspired by the film V for Vendetta.^[148] The protests have involved live "Rick Rolling" and the distribution of cake and biscuits to passers-by.^{[146][149][150]} Scientology spokespeople have denounced the group as "terrorists".^[148][151]

[mrtourette]

I'm sure some people are sufficietly against it to not go as they don't want their money to go to them.

[eFestivals]

^{Ok, i've heard back from my friends in the anti-scientologist movement.}

^{The website and person who they think you've been talking is ( putting it diplomatically) a bit of a loose cannon. He kinda see's the hand of scientology in things which aren't there. So i wouldn't take too much stock in what he says.}

while what you say about the person's characteristics might be true for all I know, I also know that you're on the wrong tack with that.

[eFestivals]

Could belong to this group ?

Anonymous

The Internet group Anonymous has arranged demonstrations around the UK from February 2008 onwards as part of Project Chanology, its worldwide campaign to expose the Church of Scientology's "illegal and immoral behaviour".^[146][147] They wear Guy Fawkes masks inspired by the film V for Vendetta.^[148] The protests have involved live "Rick Rolling" and the distribution of cake and biscuits to passers-by.^{[146][149][150]} Scientology spokespeople have denounced the group as "terrorists".^[148][151]

yep, tis them.

[Kizzie]

Ultimately what does it really matter ?

Would anyone not go if it was ?

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

Ultimately what does it really matter ?

Would anyone not go if it was ?

[mrtourette]

Cake and biscuits? I'm sold.

[eFestivals]

Ultimately what does it really matter ?

yep, that's pretty much how I'm feeling about it all.

There's nothing being said to me that's bad aside from any 'badness' that any individual might place against scientology itself.

The one aspect that might be thought of as 'bad' - if the allegations of the link with scientology are correct of course (rather than it being a festival that's being run by a scientologist as a job &/or some personal fun) - is the story that's been given about how the festival came about and it being 'independent'. It's being said to me via the letter and the phone call that the story is false, and if it is then that's not particularly good. But then again I'm aware of at least two other festival organisers who spin a different line about their fests to what I take the actual truth of things to be, so even that possible part doesn't set EotR apart from some other fests.

Nothing that's been said to me is really changing anything of how I'm feeling or thinking about EotR. But the whole thing is rather strange all the same.

[eFestivals]

Well apart from their promotion of homophobia, anti stance to recreational drug taking and many other 'anti -festival ethos' related views and beliefs, then no I might not go.

If a Festival was 'put on' by the BNP in secret and you wanted to go, are you saying you wouldn't be put off ?

efests wouldn't, doesn't, and won't list the annual BNP festival.

From the angle of whether or not efests should list EotR, I can't see any reason to stop listing it when efests lists other fests with a religious connection.

All the same I'm a little perturbed by the fact that there might be a scientologist link which they're not being open about, unlike those other religiously-linked festivals. But as there's zero allegations of any substance or any evidence being given to me about any attempts at recruiting anyone to scientology via the fest then I don't see it as an issue when trying to be balanced about these things.

There was the suggestion put to me that 'younger acts' have attempted to be recruited but I asked for names of who and got none.

[eFestivals]

Of course they would. If it was proven that money from a festival I was attending was going into the coffers of Scientology, i'd run as fast as I could, and do I could to stop people I knew from attending.

from what's been told to me and what I've read, it appears to be the case (if those things are true of course) of things being the opposite to that - that scientology is financially supporting the festival, not that the festival is financially supporting scientology.

[Joe-]

That's pretty hilarious.

It wouldn't stop me going, unless they started brainwashing in a "yvan eth nioj" Simpsons manner. I'm not a fan of scientology, but I wouldn't miss a nice weekend with a ton of great bands.

[Infinite Jest]

yep, tis them.

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

from what's been told to me and what I've read, it appears to be the case (if those things are true of course) of things being the opposite to that - that scientology is financially supporting the festival, not that the festival is financially supporting scientology.

[eFestivals]

Are we sure that it isn't just someone messing with you? (Bearing in mind that anyone can claim to be Anonymous).

anything is possible, but if it's someone trying to set me up then it's taken them many years to put the set-up together, from the dates of forum posts and the like.

I'm sort of finding the whole argument a bit weird:

EoTR is not being used for recruitment

EoTR was making losses, which were subsidised by the Church of Scientology (CoS)

So, EoTR is a CoS front organisation designed to lose money for the CoS? How does that make sense? (OK, it could be a tax dodge, but we're into pretty weird territory there...).

I've been four times and not seen any signs of any CoS-type beliefs (other than EoTR are anti-drug use at the festival and CoS is vehemently anti-drug, but I think that's a stretch). I mean, they booked Ben Goldacre a few years ago, doesn't seem like the sort of guy who Scientologists would want around.

I'

I'm finding the whole thing strange too.

But it seems to be the case that I've been 'informed' about this only for the purposes of getting the link between the festival and scientology out there, so that people are aware of the link. That seems to be the angle that my 'informant' was coming from.

If the information is true then I don't really have any issue with that. With perfect information people are able to make perfectly informed decisions for themselves.

[surprised too that I only recognise one username in this thread, and I know most of the EoTR regulars...was this originally posted in another fourm?]

I did a quick search for 'scientology' on these forums and discovered an old thread about anonymous and scientology in the discussions forum, so have made a link from that to here as it seemed relevant. I'm guessing that's how the unfamiliar names to you are posting in this thread.

[zahidf]

anything is possible, but if it's someone trying to set me up then it's taken them many years to put the set-up together, from the dates of forum posts and the like.

I'

I'm finding the whole thing strange too.

But it seems to be the case that I've been 'informed' about this only for the purposes of getting the link between the festival and scientology out there, so that people are aware of the link. That seems to be the angle that my 'informant' was coming from.

If the information is true then I don't really have any issue with that. With perfect information people are able to make perfectly informed decisions for themselves.

I did a quick search for 'scientology' on these forums and discovered an old thread about anonymous and scientology in the discussions forum, so have made a link from that to here as it seemed relevant. I'm guessing that's how the unfamiliar names to you are posting in this thread.

[Infinite Jest]

anything is possible, but if it's someone trying to set me up then it's taken them many years to put the set-up together, from the dates of forum posts and the like.

Edited January 31, 2012 by Infinite Jest