Scientology sues russian orthodox church
From: tilman@xenu.com (Tilman Hausherr)
Date: 1997/01/24
Message-Id: <32f0115c.4065163@news.snafu.de>
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Organization: Xenu's Ranch
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Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology,soc.culture.russian



Scientology has joined a lawsuit against the Department of Religious
Education of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church,
which runs the St. Ireneus of Lyon Information and Consulation Center.

Prof. Dvorkin had published a book "10 questions to an obtrusive
stranger. Or a handbook for those who do not want to be recruited into a
destructive cult". (It is partly based on a segment of Steve Hassan's
book) The book did not name any cults, but some sued anyway: a Krishna,
a scientologist, and a group of scientologists.

Scientologist Titovchenko states a financial claim: he introduces
himself as a staff worker, and says that the book cause a worsening of
his relation to his former wife (!), with a close friend, other friends
and acquaintances. Titovchenko values his "moral harm" at $10,000.

Scientology seems to credit Dvorkin for persuading the health minister
to stop scientology fraudulent medical programmes in public medicine.

Moxon and Bartilson have already started an investigation of Dvorkin's
friends in the US, where he lived for some time.


See previous news below:

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Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
Subject: Former priest sues a Russian Orthodox leader
From: nobody@huge.cajones.com (Huge Cajones Remailer)
Date: Wed, 25 Dec 1996 23:45:00 -0800
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Former priest sues a Russian Orthodox leader

TASS 25 Dec 1996

MOSCOW, December 25 (Itar-Tass) - Former priest Gleb Yakunin
who was disfrocked for activities, incompatible with the service of a
clergyman, instituted a suitcase against a leader of the Russian
Orthodox Church for his book on religious sects (operating in
Russia), which he described as "a slander".
Alexander Dvorkin, head of the information and consultative centre
of Saint Martyr Iriney Lionsky, was accused by Yakunin "of offending
honour and dignity of religious organisations registered in Russia".
According to Dvorkin whose centre was set up at a section of the
Moscow Patriarchate, the matter in question is about "sects with a
shady repute", about which he told readers in the booklet "10
questions to an importunate stranger or a manual for those who do not
want to be recruited" which was published 18 months ago.
"I explained in the booklet to secular people what those sects
mean, what is their difference from traditional confessions, how they
use violence in various forms, deprive their followers of property,
and seek to grab power," the author explained. "The booklet mentions
Moon's unification church, Krishna's consciousness society and the
scientology church," he added.
Yakunin described as a slander the conclusions of the author,
(candidate of theology), based on investigations of specialists,
because not a single criminal case was instituted against those
sects.
On the other hand, Dvorkin is convinced that the reason for this
lies in imperfection of Russian legislation which, in contrast to
Western laws, cannot ensure legal protection of its citizens from
totalitarian sects.
In Dvorkin's opinion, a new bill which is now under discussion, has
become outdated in an item dealing with streamlining of activities of
foreign religious sects in Russia.
This happened due to the fact that limitations on their activities
prescribed in the item became ineffective due to the fact that the
overwhelming majority of missions have been already registered in
Russia.
Dvorkin claimed that it is necessary now to borrow a European model
of relations between the state and confessions, providing for a
system of division of power between them, including the transfer by
the state to traditional confessions of part of functions in the
sphere of education, culture and charity activities.
bur/dro