Scientology Could Get Its Own Senator
The Church of Scientology may soon have a new ally in the U.S. Senate.
Republican congressman and 2016 Senate candidate David Jolly’s district includes the town of Clearwater, Florida, which is home to the Flag Service Organization, the “spiritual headquarters of Scientologists planetwide” and the organization’s “Mecca.” It is Scientology’s largest church, situated in a complex spread out over a “nine-mile grid” in the heart of downtown Clearwater.
Given the large footprint of the church in his district, Jolly’s ties with Scientologists may have paid dividends on the local level—but now that he’s running to represent the entire state of Florida, his connections with the controversial church may prove to be a liability. He’s received numerous donations from an infamous Scientologist doctor, attended rallies and fundraisers thrown by the church, and steadfastly refuses to distance himself from the group.
Scientology is a relatively new religion created by American sci-fi writer L. Ron Hubbard in the mid-1950s. The church has gained much attention and media coverage in recent years for, among other things, opposing psychiatric medications and recruiting a wide variety of celebrities such as entertainer (and former Republican congressman) Sonny Bono and Tom Cruise.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/10/16/scientology-could-get-its-own-senator.html
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