The Church of Scientology hosted a "blessing and opening ceremony" of its new building at 1424 16th St. NW. over the weekend, causing traffic delays and scores of curious passers-by to stop and gawk. Many of those curious Georges may have been hoping for a glimpse of one of the church's many celebrity members, such as Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Fox News anchor Greta Van Susteren, but were deterred thanks to a large plastic barricade.

According to Sylvia Stanard, a public-affairs director for the church, Academy Award-nominated actress Anne Archer (for "Fatal Attraction") was the only Hollywood-type church member in attendance. However, Miss Stanard says, it's "very possible" Mr. Cruise and Mr. Travolta may stop by the new 50,000-square-foot structure, which cost the church more than $18 million to purchase and renovate.


Chairman of the Board of the Religious Technology Center David Miscavige, a close friend of Mr. Cruise's, officiated at the ceremony, which was attended by about 3,000 invitation-only guests, including Rep. Brad Sherman, California Democrat, who is not a church member "but supports the human rights work the church is doing all over the world," Miss Stanard says.

She further explains that the building at 1701 20th St. NW, known to Scientologists as the "founding church" because it was the original church opened by the late L. Ron Hubbard in 1955, will remain open for some services but will be used mainly for administrative purposes.

The new church had to be built, she says, "because of our growing membership. We were literally busting at the seams."

Now there's one more place for us to do celeb watching.

Ahem, Brad Sherman from California went to the ceremony?! What is wrong with that dude? He can't read the paper or watch CNN? Good grief.

The scene at Saturday's ribbon-cutting ceremony.
(Founding Church of Scientology)

The scene at Saturday's ribbon-cutting ceremony. (Founding Church of Scientology)Enlarge Image

Timing is everything, and sometimes it's awkward: The Church of Scientology unveiled its grand new center a half-mile from the White House on Saturday -- the same day the St. Petersburg Times unveiled a major investigative report alleging the church deployed coercive tactics and espionage against staff members who tried to leave.

Among the dignitaries speaking to the crowd that filled a cordoned-off block of 16th Street NW: Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), who presented the church with a flag that had flown over the U.S. Capitol and praised the organization as a positive force for human rights and religious freedom.

Sherman is not a Scientologist, but his suburban Los Angeles district lies within Scientology's showbiz-heavy West Coast stronghold. Asked about the church's latest controversy, the congressman said through a rep that he has appeared at events for "over 100" religious groups, and "this does not give me the time to evaluate each of their organizational structures or doctrines because I am also showing up at hundreds of events for nonreligious organizations."



[Brad Sherman AKA Ignorant Fuckwit]

Scientology has had a prominent presence for decades in Dupont Circle, where late founder L. Ron Hubbard made his home. The newly renovated building at 16th and P will serve as its new D.C. church, said spokeswoman Sylvia Stanard, while its previous home in a historic mansion on 20th Street will be made over into a national public affairs office.

"We've never had a national headquarters like that before," she told us. Stanard said the opening ceremonies drew 3,000 church members (including actress Anne Archer, but no, sorry, no Tom Cruise or John Travolta).

How about that Times story on the day of their opening? "Throughout our history there's been negative stories," she said. "We keep expanding. It's just kind of our answer."

Comments


"Asked about the church's latest controversy, the congressman said through a rep that he has appeared at events for "over 100" religious groups, and "this does not give me the time to evaluate each of their organizational structures or doctrines..."

Nice excuse there, Barney. I bet if the American Nazi Party asked you to speak, you'd back out. Or the KKK. You'd back out.

So why the heck are you attending an event for a cult that is still on record as perpetrating the largest domestic espionage case in US history? A cult that tramples on free speech and human rights?

Don't you think you owe it to your constituents to quit being a lazy, irresponsible tool, or did the nice Scientologists invite you to a party afterwards with all the free shrimp you could stuff down your gullet?

Posted by: ophidia | November 4, 2009 11:45 AM

Found in the movie: "In support of Human Rights" on the Scientology.org homepage.


Rep. Brad Sherman
"It is a demand that we do it now, that we look at the individual rights guaranteed by the United Nations in its Declaration."

THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY has a new national headquarters in DC that will also double as the embassy of The Galactic Confederacy. Thousands of over-medicated souls in search of salvation attended the building’s opening ceremony, including West Coast dignitary REP. BRAD SHERMAN (D-CA), who welcomed the Church with open {campaign coffers} arms and presented XENU with a gift certificate to Jumbo Slice. Coy maneuvering indeed, but does Brad realize this is a serious ‘fuck you’ to political action groups such as Suburban Los Angeles Psychiatrists for Sherman? Meh. It was a lousy PAC anyway.

New Scientologist Church to Save D.C.
By CHRIS NEEDHAM
Updated 2:45 PM EST, Mon, Nov 9, 2009



There's good news for President Barack Obama and his hard-working White House staff. Should they ever want to take a personality test that indoctrinates them into a religion, the Church of Scientology is even closer than before.

Six blocks from the White House, Scientology opened up its newest church over the weekend, reports the Washington Business Journal.

While to you, it might just seem like a run-of-the-mill church (or cult, depending on your perspective), to Scientologists, it's something more. David Miscavige, the leader of the religion, said in a press release that, "[t]his is also the kind of Church [L. Ron Hubbard] envisioned when authoring our programs and campaigns — in anticipation of a day when turmoil knocks out the props and the whole social veneer collapses."

So now citizens of downtown know where to go once that veneer starts to fall. Watch out; it could be heavy.

Congressman Brad Sherman from California attended, as did a representative for Mayor Adrian Fenty. For that, Mike Silverstein, president of the Dupont Circle Advisory Neighborhood Association, drew the short straw.

The mayor, no doubt, had more pressing matters to attend to: shaving his head, perhaps?