Scientologists Steal Potentially Radioactive Hospital Supplies [video]

I’ll have to preface this article by stating that the stuff in question probably was not radioactive.  Probably this was just safe, clean water that some Scientology volunteer stumbled upon in Haiti and managed to distribute to thirsty victims of the earthquake in Haiti.  That said, it was water they found bagged up in a hospital radiology lab, where on rare emergencies occasions, water bags can be used as radiation shields.

So anyway, the gist of the story can be gleaned from this awesomely, self-congratulatory video.  This chick seems super happy to be helping in Haiti, despite how often she has to change her gloves and use hand sanitizer.  And how she stole hospital supplies with no knowledge of what they were or why they were there to distribute like a latter day Robin Hood of ignorance.

Now, given that I don’t think the water was actually radioactive, why should we even care?  Hospitals generally use lead shields, and the water is said to have been packaged in a way that emergency water supplies are sometimes packaged in that neck of the woods, so it was probably just drinking water and she probably saved some people’s lives, and that’s awesome.

What’s not awesome is that, had this been for another purpose, had this been contaminated water, she could have inadvertently killed some people.  The one time Scientology shows up in the media doing something that is arguably not evil, and it was on the doorstep of being disastrous.

Scientology has been having a rough shake this last little while due to the fact it’s kind of awful.  They hide behind cries of religious persecution any time someone criticizes them but the fact is their numbers are down and they’re fielding some insane accusations from former members.  Just this week the New York Times did an article on how former members accused the Church of making them work 7 days weeks, like 100 hours in total, for $50 at max.  Oh, and the women were forced to have abortions.  And the Church is forbidding any contact with their families now.

The Church has long denied it makes families cut off contact with ex members, but that’s the reason director Paul Haggis quit, because he knew the Church was lying when they denied it.  He’s experienced it first hand.  Other high ranking members have left saying the leader, David Miscavige, routinely beats and degrades members, treatment that borders on torture like locking people in rooms for days and forcing them to play musical chairs with the prize being not losing their job or being shipped across the planet to a remote Church.

So this one story pops up, of one lowly volunteer trying to do good, and it comes across as just a horrible near miss all wrapped in this condescending, yay-me tone from a person who blogged about the conditions being so awful she didn’t even have water to shave her legs.  Good job, Scientology.  You’ll convert the world in no time.