Atheist Age

Scientology ‘putting lives at risk’

Australian Prime Minister Kevin – from heaven – Rudd’s pandering to his religious overlords looks set to be strained with criticism from Australian of the year, Professor Patrick McGorry. McGorry has weighed in on the most holy of organised crime gangs on this planet – and a few others in the galaxy if doctrinal truth be told – The “church” of Scientology.

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Australian of the Year Professor Patrick McGorry has thrown his weight behind calls for a Senate inquiry into the Church of Scientology, saying the church’s teachings are putting Australians’ lives at risk.

Professor McGorry, a world-renowned youth mental health expert, and two other respected Australian psychiatrists are supporting independent Senator Nick Xenophon’s efforts to set up an investigation into the church’s activities and its teachings on psychiatric care.

Professor McGorry says it is time to put the Church of Scientology under the federal parliamentary microscope.

“It’s a bit like they’re the deniers of the reality of mental illness, which is not only incredibly irresponsible and dangerous, but something that has to be challenged,” he said.

Professor McGorry says he has been motivated by his long-time advocacy of early intervention for mental health problems.

The Church of Scientology has strong views about psychiatric medicine, and Professor McGorry says those teachings should be examined in a public forum such as a Senate inquiry.

“I’m concerned that any restriction or any discouragement of access to mental health care will cost lives and result in unnecessary disability for people,” Professor McGorry said.

Professor Ian Hickie, the executive director of the Brain and Mind Institute in Sydney, also supports a Senate inquiry, as does Professor Louise Newman, the president of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists.

“I’ve certainly come into contact with people with mental illness who have sought help or assistance from the Church of Scientology, and from many other organisations,” Professor Newman said.

“In their contact with the Church of Scientology they’ve been discouraged from having appropriate treatment.

“Some have been encouraged to cease taking psychiatric medication even when those might be indicated, and there has certainly been no attempt to actually get people in any reasonable form of alternate therapy.

“This is not a trivial issue and I think for far too long, these sort of extremist views have hidden behind a group which describes itself as being an organised religion.”

Professor McGorry says he and his two colleagues are just the tip of a very deep iceberg.

“The whole mental health field would support this call for an inquiry and it’s overdue in fact, in my opinion,” he said.

Professor McGorry met Senator Nick Xenophon yesterday.

Forced abortion claims:

In Parliament last year Senator Xenophon raised serious allegations of abuse, blackmail and forced abortions within the church.

The church claimed he had abused parliamentary privilege, but the Senator has pushed for an inquiry.

The Greens support the push but as yet it does not have enough support from either the Government or Opposition Senators, who will be voting on it by the end of next week.

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Tags: Crime, Cults, Education, Human Rights, Medico-legal, Scam, Scientology