Scientology Teams Up With Ebay To Offer New Kind Of E-Meter: The Gay Meter
Ebay, the online auction company, has gotten some flack for their decision to grant the Church of Scientology unfettered access to (via their VERO program) to “unauthorized” auctions selling “e-meters.”
An e-meter is the “technical” term for a low-quality lie-detector test. The purported function of an e-meter is to gage a person’s stress level during what is called “auditing,” by Scientology. Auditing is essentially a person being asked to reveal upsetting or difficult memories in an effort to “clear” or desensitize the person from these “memories” or incidents. The e-meter gages the person’s response to these events and the auditor monitors the e-meter for fluctuations.
These devices, which send a low wattage of electrical current from a person’s arm through their other arm, can be purchased by the Church of Scientology for the low price of $4500, according to an article on Radar Online.
Here’s more from that post:
The VeRO program is ostensibly for sellers who wish to block the sale of such counterfeit goods as, say, fake Prada handbags. However, given that the e-meters being sold on eBay are authentic, it appears the Church is operating outside of VeRO’s intended scope, and is thus guilty of, among other things, “price fixing, tortious interference with a contract, misrepresentation, perjury, unfair competition, discriminatory business practices, and religious discrimination.” (Most auctions have already been removed, but screengrabs are available here).
This isn’t the only price-gouging practice by the purportedly “religious” organization. One estimate pegs the cost of ascending from novice to OT9—one of the highest levels in Scientology—at between $365,000 and $380,000. Church-sponsored seminars and auditing sessions often run into the thousands of dollars. But, hey, that’s probably cheaper than psychiatric drugs!
An e-mail to an eBay spokesperson seeking comment was not returned by post time.
Apparently, not all the auctions have been intercepted, as the above picture comes from a current auction which you can view here. But you better act fast, I hear John Travolta and Tom Cruise are “wrestling” for who gets this item.
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2 PHunny!
The Q&A’s on the ebay sale are really good.
You gotta check this out though:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=eBGIQ7ZuuiU
LOL!
Comment by Sean — February 21, 2008 @ 3:21 pm
Yeah, the Lulz on are on me today. Lulz for everyone! Lulz on the house!!!
Good thing I like cheesy 80’s music.
Comment by D — February 21, 2008 @ 3:24 pm
You’re starting to get a hang of us, I see.
Comment by Anonymous — February 21, 2008 @ 3:56 pm
Culture shock will do that!
Comment by D — February 21, 2008 @ 3:59 pm
[...] we discussed in the previous post, The Church of Scientology with the very helpful people of Ebay have clamped down on all auctions [...]
Pingback by GlossLip » Ebay Out For Scientology E-Meters, Craigslist Still In….For Now — February 21, 2008 @ 4:54 pm
I laughed, I cried, I loved <3
Comment by Anoynymause — February 21, 2008 @ 9:19 pm
D, you so crazy!
Comment by D-Bomb — February 21, 2008 @ 9:55 pm
Is this like gaydar?
Comment by k — February 21, 2008 @ 10:10 pm
Spigot. Lulz1. Are. RRR. Obay.
Comment by Terryeo — February 22, 2008 @ 2:25 pm
Yet another Scientology entry. Did you want to re-name the site to the Scientology-basher site?
Comment by Jeanne — February 24, 2008 @ 3:40 pm
Hey Jeanne, seeing as you are posting from a Scientology center, I will ignore your really desperate and pathetic attempts to distract from the content of this and every other post you’ve commented on.
Do me a favor Jeanne, let your boss David Miscavige know that not only is he a very short and uneducated man, he is also being watched too.
Yep, we’re watching. All the time. 24-7, times running out better get on the Freewinds or the Apollo or whatever rust bucket will still float and get off of dry land, because when the shoe finally drops, all you know and understand will crumble and the only thing left standing will be your glaringly illegal crimes.
See ya soon Davey!
Comment by D — February 24, 2008 @ 4:28 pm
Jeanne-
Important issues, such as private slave labor prison camps in the U.S., deserve attention from all venues and decent human beings.
History demands the truth be told, Jeanne. If you don’t have sources and facts, you can’t expect anyone to take you seriously.
Comment by Anonymous — March 6, 2008 @ 10:41 pm