A kerfuffle of epic proportions came about when a BBC documentary about Scientology ("Scientology and Me") culminated in a shouting match between Panorama reporter John Sweeney and Scientology spokesperson Tommy Davis in the "Mind Control" section of the Church's "Psychiatry: Industry of Death" exhibit in Los Angeles.

Scientology fascinates me, and not because I have any desire to be a part of whatever the hell it is. I'm just inexplicably drawn to beliefs and practices I would never personally adhere to because I'm interested in what drives other people, especially if aliens might be involved. The "religion" claims to have ten million followers, and there's obviously something about it that attracts celebrities. Do those Hollywood peeps know something about it we don't, or is it just another trivial and meaningless fad like Kabbalah?

48 Hours recently did a show on Scientology, specifically Jeremy Perkins, a paranoid schizophrenic who stabbed his mother to death. Perkins parents were Scientologists (his mother was a senior auditor at the Church of Scientology in Buffalo, NY) and did not believe in psychiatric treatment. You can watch the episode here. I have not watched it yet myself, but feel free to take a look and share your reflections in the comments.

[via Digg]

South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker have had to fight quite a few battles over the last several months, from the "Bloody Mary" episode that upset some Catholics to the two-part "Cartoon Wars" episode that was censored by Comedy Central. The two creators had become so fed up they almost walked after the network pulled the "Trapped in the Closet" episode that skewered both Scientology and its most vocal supporter, Tom Cruise. Rumors were abound as to why the episode was pulled, with some, including Parker and Stone, claiming Cruise himself had a hand in it. Well, whatever reason the network might have had is apparently no longer relevant because the episode will return on July 19. No word on whether those censored images of Muhammad from "Cartoon Wars" will ever be seen, though. Of course, you could always just watch the opening credits for that.

Let me preface this post by saying that I know next to nothing about the New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project, other than the fact that it has been stirring up controversy due to what many, including chief medical officer Dr. Kerry Kelly of the FDNY, say are dubious medical claims. Oh yeah, and it has origins in Scientology, which is always great fuel for controversy. One person who does seem to like the idea, however, is Janeanne Garafolo, who has been catching some flak lately from fans of her Air America radio show, "The Majority Report," where her praise of the controversial method has been likened by some to an infomercial. It seems that even her most diehard fans aren't too happy with Garafalo on this one. For more detailed information, check out this post by Rick Ross over on his Cult News blog.