
(Listen to other episodes of Conversations from the Pale Blue Dot here.)
Today I interview journalist Russell Miller about his biography of one of the most bizarre and astonishing lives of the 20th century, that of L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology.
Download CPBD episode 075 with Russell Miller. Total time is 39:16.
Russell Miller links:
- Russell Miller on Wikipedia
- Russell Miller at P.F.D.
- Bare-Faced Messiah (full text + interviews + photographs released for free on the web by the author because legal action from the Church of Scientology had the book banned from sale in the U.S.)
- Bare-Faced Messiah on Amazon
Links for things we discussed:
- L. Ron Hubbard
- The Sunday Times
- Dianetics
- Scientology
- Church of Scientology
- Gerry Armstrong
- International Association of Scientologists
- Xenu
- David Miscavige
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Fascinating interview. I think it illustrates how that some people will believe almost anything if it is presented in the form of a religion. It also shows how legends can quickly develop about a person and be believed by his followers in spite of the extreme nature of the claims and the evidence to the contrary. If this can happen in the 20th century, there is little doubt that it could have happened in the 1st century.
Ken Pulliam(Quote)
Great interview! Very interesting stuff.
Zak(Quote)
“If this can happen in the 20th century, there is little doubt that it could have happened in the 1st century. ” Exactly.
Leomar(Quote)
Jesus Christ – it’s insane you have to put a special note on the front of your podcast because of these lunatics. I watched the BBC documentaries about them, and I understand there were much worse revelations about the cult that never even made it into the show.
These people need to be stopped. I think you should be out in Hollywood protesting anyway. It’s like, I don’t have tuberculosis, and it hasn’t infected anyone that I know personally – but I’m damn sure going to fight against the virus.
Dan(Quote)
An intriguing story and a refreshing change in your pool of interviewees.
Reuben(Quote)
L. Ron Hubbard Was a Fraud
Next week’s feature: Water is Wet
—-
It’s like, I don’t have tuberculosis, and it hasn’t infected anyone that I know personally – but I’m damn sure going to fight against the virus.
Ahem: the infectious agent of tuberculosis is not a virus, it is a mycobacterium.
Reginald Selkirk(Quote)
this was a cool interview. I had no idea about a lot of this stuff.
Bill Maher(Quote)
This is an apology to Russel Miller. I am the person responsible for creating the widely known pdf version of your book Bare-Faced Messiah. My intention in doing so was solely to make the valuable information in your book available to other people involved in the cult. At the time I made the pdf (over 10 years ago now) it was impossible to get your book anywhere, and it was important for me to do something to fight back at this vicious cult.
I hope that I did not cause you financial hardship by making your book freely available.
If someone can please make sure that Russel sees this message it would be appreciated.
The Real No User(Quote)
The Real No User,
I have passed on your message.
Luke Muehlhauser(Quote)