ABC Nightline Aired 04-24! (With Video Link)

I can't believe Scientology are such cowards that they had to hide behind the claim of "Not wanting to interfere in a family matter."

I screamed at the TV and said "Well this would be the first time that Scientology managed to NOT interfere in a family matter!"

I am stunned that I found it surprising that Scientology played the "We're not going to stoop to impugning a former member's character" card.

That would also be the first time they ever hesitated to not use character assasination on a former member or critic. I wish ABC had mentioned that.

Perhaps Jenna's last name is the compelling factor in getting Scientology to want to sweep this story under the rug without making things even messier than they are.

My analogy would be that usually Scientology is willing to shoot themselves in the foot 100 times with an AK-47 just to make their athelete's foot itch go away. If it gets horrible and messy and hurts themselves 100 times more than their opposition they usually don't care.

Well done Jenna and Astra! You are brave, you are strong and we are legion!

[astra]

Thanks everyone for staying up late to watch and all your supportive comments. I have been on edge for weeks waiting for this to air and I am so happy about the positive response.

I really wish that Kendra could have been interviewed too and she would have been if she was in the States but I guess ABC couldn't go to Beijing. We all know the massive amount of work she has put into the website and I am forever grateful to her.

Yes big kudos to you Kendra for all your hard work. I can't believe what an awesome site you have been able to make this in such a short time.

You and the other mods/admins deserve mad props for being so great!

You three girls really are amazing!

Well, Kendra not being there just gives the opportunity for a follow-up. Maybe then they could also address law enforcement's lack of interest in these issues.

Astra, your daughter is fortunate to have a strong, commited mother who understands what might have been lost. Where others can be parents at will, and some admittedly probably shouldn't, you fought and sacrificed for your right to have a family. That alone makes you a better parent than I will ever be.

Congratulations on a fantastic interview. Where before you were an internet phenomenon now you ladies are household names!

I love how the Scientology response only mentions this story as a family matter between Jenna and her Uncle.

What about everything that Lawrence and Astra Woodcraft had to say about the abuses? Nice tap-dancing and mental gymnastics to get artound that part eh?

Scientology is like a never-ending plane crash.

"Three Hot Chicks" -1 because she's in China (sorry, I think that Anon-nickname may just stick),

If you could see the expression on my face when I watched Nightline last night, you would have either been terrified or DAMN PROUD to see how much an anon like me is eating this up!

I have not laughed so maniacally in a long, LONG time. This was by far one of the BIGGEST wins in this war we're waging.

To quote Captain America GOOD WORK, SOLDIER!

Wow, great job Jenna and Astra. The interview was very well done, and you were brave and eloquent. Astra, your dad is the bomb! What kind of 'church' forces a child to have to sneak out to see her dad?

Jenna: I loved your retort about 'not signing up for military school' -that was terrific. Not being able to see your parents for long periods of time is sick and wrong. Thank you for exposing the abusive nature of this so-called religion.

And the co$ non-response was lame. David Miscavige's "ecclesiastical" position prohibits him from discussing these matters? Puleeze ... He is no clergy. Maybe they meant to say "egomaniacal"??

Bravo, ladies. You rock. Can't wait for the CNN coverage.

Jenna -

Here is your original letter to Karin Pouw. I'm re-printing it here because of its sheer awesomeness.

I have a question for you after it.

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Dear Karin [Pouw, spokesperson for official Scientology],

I could not resist the opportunity to write you this letter having read your official rebuttal regarding the Tom Cruise biography.

I have been involved in the Church of Scientology since birth. David Miscavige as you well know is my father's brother, making him my uncle.

In fact you and I actually know each other although not very well.

I cannot comment on your responses regarding the personal life of Tom Cruise because I know nothing about this, but I am absolutely shocked at how vehemently you insist upon not only denying the truths that have been stated about the Church in that biography, but then take it a step further and tell outright lies.

You go so far as to state:

7. Does Scientology encourage their members not to speak to their family if they don't support the religion?

This allegation is not only false, it is the opposite of what the Church believes and practices.

— Karin Pouw [in Church of Scientology statement]

As you well know, my parents officially left the Church when I was 16 in 2000. I, having been separated from them at the age of 12 and thoroughly engulfed in the beliefs of the Church since birth decided not to go with them.

Not only was I not allowed to speak to them, I was not allowed to answer a phone for well over a year, in case it was them calling me. To give exact specifics, this "law" was enforced ruthlessly by one Tracye Danilovoch — the local representative for the Religious Technology Center — who intercepted all letters from my parents (and my friends). She would then pass them on to Marc Rathbun (the then 2nd in command of the Church) and Mike Rinder — who happens to be the former head of YOUR office — "The Office of Special Affairs" (you can thank me later for not elaborating on this one). Only after they had seen the letters and decided it was ok for me to see them would I receive some of them while sitting in a board room while they watched me read them and asked me to comment on them.

I was allowed to visit my parents from the age of 16-22, once a year for a maximum of 3-4 days, but that was only after they (my parents) threatened legal action if the Church got in the way of this and even then only after I underwent a "Security Check Confessional" before I saw them and immediately after I came back. A security check is interrogation (usually about if I intend on leaving the Church, or finding out if my parents have said anything bad about the Church, etc.) while being attached to an [electropsychometer] which is similar to a lie detector. This happened every single time I saw then (which was never more than 3 or 4 days a year).

For a more recent example of families being destroyed, my Aunt Jennifer Pantermeuhl has recently contacted my parents and let them know that she can no longer speak to them or be in contact with them because they speak to and live near, my other Aunt Sarah Mortland. Sarah is my mom's and Jennifer's sister. This is because Sarah is not in favor with the Church. Jennifer also contacted my brother Sterling as well as the rest of the family for the same reason most of whom had to lie to her and said they weren't talking to Sarah for fear of getting found out about.

Another good example would be when my other brother, Justin, was in Florida a few years ago and was on his way to visit our Aunt Denise Gentile (our father's sister and David Miscavige's twin) with his girlfriend. Denise abruptly cancelled while they were on their way over because the Church would not approve — because he was an ex-member. Not to mention the fact that Kirsten Caetano (a member of the Church's Office of Special Affairs — the very same organization you belong to) was contacting Justin several times when he was in Florida working, telling him that he needed to leave the state because he is an ex-member and his presence at the "Mecca of scientology" was disturbing to the church. Kristen has admitted to my face that she did this when I confronted her and even went so far as to admit that she lied to my brother after denying the incident. This is the least of what Kirsten Caetano has done!

You cite this quote from L. Ron Hubbard about what the Church believes with regards to families..... yes we know what the Church claims to "believe" and has written in its policies! — BUT do they practice that? Absolutely not!

I can name at least 5 friends off the top of my head who's family members are not allowed to speak to them without being themselves ousted from the Church and prevented from communicating with other members of their family and even their children still involved in the Church lest THEY too be ousted! They can't speak to their children because they have left the Church on their own determinism. This is a widespread practice and if you dare deny it I have a list of all of there names together — these people's families are crying every day because they can't speak to their children who did nothing but leave the Church of their own free will.

If I am in fact wrong and you want to prove me as such, then allow me and my family to be in contact with our family members that are still part of the Church such as my Grandpa, Ron Miscavige, and his wife, Becky. Allow the same of my friends. And don't even start with the, "it's their choice all along story..." — nobody is going to buy that, there are way too many destroyed families for that to be true.

I am tempted to take up many of the other accusations you categorically deny in your novel, but for the purpose of keeping this letter readable and focused on the most important part (family) I will resist.

I will suggest however that maybe you should spend the manpower and time of drafting your masterpiece rebuttal — why don't you take the high road for once and put that time towards repairing the families you have destroyed, starting with the family of David Miscavige himself — hell, if Scientology can't keep his family together — then why on earth should anyone believe the Church helps bring families together!

Best,

Jenna Miscavige Hill

**********************************************

Do you know why Nightline didn't focus more on this?

Why didn't they point out that "The Church claims that disconnection no longer exists, and yet here is David Miscavage's own niece, disconnected"...?