Cards on the table, I won't pretend I'm a massive fan of Scientology. Given I tend not to be a fan of any religion it's probably not a massive exposé although it's also not that far from the rather pathetic efforts made both by and against them this week. But given Scientologists rather famously like full-disclose of their critics here goes...

I've read and learnt a fair bit about the group so I probably know more about it that the average man on the street. In all that learning I've done I'd say the group have been guilty of some truly horrific things, but that's not exactly uncommon in any group wishing to be called a religion. The whole alien race stuff is rather amusingly crazy and not exactly shocking from a Sci-Fi writer creating a religion. Dianetics is basically a high-tech version of Freud's earlier (and less crazy) therapy - although it seems to be administered by people who often need more training as they have apparently created False Memory Syndrome on occassion. They also seem absolute champions of style and spin. I suspect most of the worst behaviour is well behind them but they're not exactly the friendliest of people if you upset them even slightly.

But anyway, my opinions on the table I will now move swiftly on to the back story here.

The BBC produced a Panorama show which claimed to be investigating Scientology. Having seen the show I'd say that you could probably give a camera to a bunch of pre-teens and get a similar investigation. Oh Auntie Beeb that was poor. Apparently, and I know this is sshocking to many of you, Scientology has been accused of being a brainwashing cult and it disconnects and investigates critics. All I can say is the BBC can, and should, do better. Weak, tabloid journalism. Kind of like a second-class version of Watchdog or a third-rate Roger Cook.

However Scientology being the group it is can't even let something that febble pass them by. I didn't even know about the show until they started rebutting it and given the documentary that was made I can simply ask - how have they not torn this thing to pieces? Had they ignored it the whole thing would've been flat and dull. As they responded they shoud've done it properly - Panorama screwed up and were fish in a barrel. And yet the Scientologists missed! This is tragic.

Scientology has created a massive site (well, a few pages) exposing Panorama. They made a stunning video I must say, that's got to be the best Flash media player video I've ever seen, shame about the content. They claim Sweeney did X or Y and then fail to show it. They keep talking about what can be said about religions ignoring that many countries fail to recognise them as a legitimate religion. The video is so poorly edited they look just as inept as Sweeney did in his side of the story. Why go for the cheap shot when you've got so much ammo?

The whole site is a farce - although my favourite is the copyright at the bottom of each page:

Copyright 1996? Wait, you refuted this stuff 11 years before Panorama made the documentary? For all this foresite you'd have thought they would manage a snappier domain name, but they obviously forget that side of things given the domain registration:

Domain Name:BBCPANORAMA-EXPOSED.ORG
Created On:08-May-2007 21:54:13 UTC

This looks like a war of who can screw up the least - it's hilarious! I think what we should all conclude is investigative journalism is dead. Maybe once this bunfight is over someone could try to revive the lost art. I'd be tempted by a quick recovery but I don't want either of these to get any teeth; it's too much fu this way.