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news

Beck's Benefit Show at the Echo Tonight: What Exactly is "Educating Children International"?

By Randall Roberts, Wednesday, Mar. 11 2009 @ 12:30PM
Comments (20)
Categories:

Beck+echo.jpg
What exactly is Educating Children International?


There's a mystery brewing regarding tonight's Beck show at the Echo, which is being billed as a benefit for something called "Educating Children International." The flyer, posted above, lists the organization's website as www.educatingchildreninternational.org, but there's nothing at that URL. We took the process one step further and did a domain search, and, lo, the address is listed as available for purchase.


So the question becomes, what lies at the other end of the $35 cover charge? Will Beck fans, a very devoted bunch, be unwittingly supporting the Church of Scientology, of which he is an avowed member? At least one blogger wonders as much. Sketchytown, which broke the story, writes:

Considering Beck's open affiliation with the ultra-creepy "Church" of Scientology, one can only wonder what this so-called "charity" is truly benefiting. Mr. Beck, are you trying to pull the wool over our eyes?

Putting aside whether you think Scientology is "ultra-creepy" or not, one truth remains: Beck is indicating that his performance tonight is a benefit for some sort of educational non-profit, but provides a dead-end domain name as the organization to which he will be donating the proceeds. Shouldn't we know where that $35 is going?

Yes and no. On the one hand, Beck plays secret shows around LA all the time, and doesn't always indicate that they're "benefits." Anyone who follows the artist must know that a portion of any money Beck receives might likely be tithed to the religious institution to which he is a member, be it the Catholic church, the Church of Latter-Day Saints or the Presbyterians. That's fine, and part of living in a free society.

But by specifically indicating that this one is a benefit only to provide erroneous information on where the money is going opens yourself up to questions of intent.

So if I'm paying $35, where is that money going?

Tags:

Beck, Educating Children International, Scientology
Comments (20) Write Comment
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More About:

  • Church of Scientology
  • Children International
  • The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
  • Scientology
  • Religion

Comments (20)

komakoma says:

Here you go... connect the dots

http://www.scientologytoday.org/press/705161054272_scn-int.html
http://educatingchildren.cc

Posted On: Wednesday, Mar. 11 2009 @ 2:46PM
Tom says:

Perhaps the key to this mystery is that Scientology front groups have mostly been outed.

No one could, in good conscience, see money go to Scientology scams like "Study Tech" or "Narconon" or "WISE" or "Criminon" or "Citizen's Commission on Human Rights".

People aren't being fooled by those any more, and for Beck to be associated with them would taint him terribly.

So, if he's still in the claws of the cult, the cult probably thinks making up a charity name (an old habit) is a good solution. Scientology, though has an eccentric view of charities. They think charities are there to help corporate Scientology, not to help the 'undeserving needy'.

Posted On: Wednesday, Mar. 11 2009 @ 3:01PM
Christian C. says:

I used to be a fan of Beck until I read an article that he was a scientologist. I respect people and their right to worship but I heard that people who join this supposed church abandon their families. The other day, I was given a flyer from those anonymous persons on Hollywood Blvd and found out that the supposed church have all of these front groups and when I read today that Beck is doing a fundraiser to one of these fronts, I was appalled. Thanks to those brave picketer, the more I found out about scientology, the more creeped out I got.

Posted On: Wednesday, Mar. 11 2009 @ 4:42PM
Brian P. says:

Guys, secret "front groups?"

Another Internet myth about Scientology. You can find talk of these organizations easily on Scientology sites:

Narconon:

http://www.whatisscientology.org/html/Part10/Chp31/pg0504.html

Human Rights:

http://www.whatisscientology.org/html/Part08/Chp29/pg0457.html

Education:

http://www.whatisscientology.org/html/Part10/Chp31/pg0524.html

C'mon, guys, believe it or not, the Internet is not always the source of truth.

Exercise your right to think critically, research your stance on issues, don't just automatically buy into someone else's.

Posted On: Wednesday, Mar. 11 2009 @ 4:59PM
Ted says:

You are an unwitting master of irony, Brian P.

Posted On: Wednesday, Mar. 11 2009 @ 7:03PM
Robin says:

It's sad to think that Beck is not being upfront about this benefit, but then he is a $cientologist and they aren't exactly known for their honesty.

Posted On: Wednesday, Mar. 11 2009 @ 7:51PM
Anon Aleichem says:

By all means, check out the Scientology version of the various front groups that claim they are not part of Scientology when they're asking for state money. Then check out the tons of sites dedicating to revealing their illegal and dangerous activities and debunking their theories. Best to read both sides of the debate. Also the tons of legal records of litigation against these various groups. That's a good read.

Start at xenu.net

Posted On: Wednesday, Mar. 11 2009 @ 10:07PM
whoever says:

O hay, check out where that educatingchildren.org url leads now.

Posted On: Wednesday, Mar. 11 2009 @ 10:21PM
Adam says:

Are you kidding me? Just get over yourselves. The guy is donating money to a charity. Big deal. At least he is donating some of his cash unlike a lot of other rich people. We're in an economic crisis and he's helping kids go to school so power to him. I still hold that Beck is the man. Who cares what his religion is.

Posted On: Thursday, Mar. 12 2009 @ 1:35AM
Klorinda says:

Educating Children IS a front Group for Scientology.
They are teaching " The Way To Happiness" (L. Ron Hubbbard Tech ) to these poor kids in India. Go watch the videos of Erin And Nick on youtube. They mention that "the kids practice the precepts of " Way To Happiness in one of their videos at the FREE make shift schools provided by SCIENTOLOGY. These shcools were paid for by a Scientology Ministry member.
Start 'em out young huh????

Scientology has MANY FRONT GROUPS . Applied Scholastics,ABLE, DRUG FREE MARSHALS, Way Too Happiness,and mentioned before... WISE,Narconon, Criminon, and the list goes on and on.
Type in Scientology front groups and you can get a list off the internet so you can be sure you are not contributing to any of these front groups or having your child invlolved in any of these groups at schools.

There is no "secret" to SOME of these front groups, if you look hard enough. Drug Free Marshalls offered to many school kids has Scientology on the back of the badges that are handed out. One Mayor in New Mexico yanked the program once he found out that Scientology was behind it.

There is the Psychiatry Industry of Death traveling exhibit. (look on their poster at the bottom in TINY letters you will see Scientology, this exhibit is for the CCHR)

There is Hollander Consultants, (who admits right on their website they are teach the tech) and Sterling Management who are just a couple of consulting firms who go into a business and have the owners (mostly private practice doctors,dentisit,chiropractors, ect... sign up pay for the cours materrials and courses and have their employess take the courses. These companies go under the guise as consulting firms. ALL these groups teach Hubbard ideals. And there are MANY other Front Groups we wil never know about.

Basically Scientology is eeking and has eeked its way into our schools,job places, heavy into the real esate market, music industries,government,and even our jails. It was L. Ron Hubbard's plan and in his own words to "Infiltrate and disseminate" .
To have the planet "CLEAR" which is to have all people be a Scientologist and reach the state of "clear", and to have the world KSW (keep scientology working)

Brian in the other comments is telling other people to think critcally??
I laughed out loud. Hubbard tech does a number on thinking critically.
It actually erases it so you will be more "open" to believe anything you are told.

Brian also tells other people to seek the truth? Wow..... seems like he needs to seek the truth.
Scientology uses many deceptive practices to gain it's entry into many facets of the world.
BECK who is an avid Scientologist, did exactly that with this concert.

Posted On: Thursday, Mar. 12 2009 @ 6:08AM
Anonymous says:

Hello blogger of West Coast Sound we are anonymous. We'd like to thank you for writing this story about Beck's upcoming concert. We would also like to thank you especially for informing us that the domain listed on the promotional material was un registered. The url now more accurately reflects it's name. http://www.educatingchildreninternational.org/

Anonymous
www.youfoundthecard.com

P.S. anonymous would also like to thank Beck for promoting our website and our cause. :)

Posted On: Thursday, Mar. 12 2009 @ 10:03AM
Louanne says:

http://www.educatingchildren.cc created the "West Bengal Scientology Free School". How is that for a "hidden" project. It's on their website!

Posted On: Thursday, Mar. 12 2009 @ 10:14AM
Joe says:

Thats funny when I click on the eduacating international link it takes me to this why we protest site. It looks like an anti scientology activist site. Why would Beck be promoting an anti-scientology activist site if he's a Scientologist?

Posted On: Thursday, Mar. 12 2009 @ 10:22AM
whoever says:

Louanne wrote: "http://www.educatingchildren.cc created the 'West Bengal Scientology Free School'. How is that for a 'hidden' project. It's on their website!"

Louanne, dear, the "hidden" aspect is that Beck's promotional flyer did not give that particular url, it gave another one, www.educatingchildreninternational.org -- which did not give any information at all, about the "charity" or anything else. It may have been a simple screw-up on someone's part rather than deliberate obfuscation. Fortunately now that url leads to a bounty of information about Scientology! :D

Posted On: Thursday, Mar. 12 2009 @ 1:07PM
Anonymous says:

The URL on Beck's fliers pointed to an unregistered domain, so naturally the good anonymous people took the opportunity to buy the domain and have it redirect to the "Why We Protest" page. I hope this clears things up for everyone.

Posted On: Saturday, Mar. 14 2009 @ 11:59PM
broken down says:

Beck is secretly embarrassed of being a scientologist. Thats the reason for the url mess up and thats the reason he evades questions about it. Yet he does a concert to appease them, he must keep them happy and thinking he helping to "clear the planet ". As some of his band members are also in the church, his wife, his inlaws, his father, his step mother, his friends. His mother, Bibby, dropped out of Scientology years ago and wouldn't get back in so last year Beck and family disconnected from her. I'm sure he was pressured big time, how else could a son disconnect from their own mother? And now he does a concert and doesn't even bring up one word at the show about the reason for the whole thing and refuses to even answers questions about it. Its because he knows its a scientology charity and he is embarrassed as hell to be known as a "scientologist". The scilons are gonna hate what I wrote but it won't mean its not true.

Posted On: Tuesday, Mar. 17 2009 @ 12:17PM
Sister727 says:

I think ADAM just fell off of the lettuce truck. He obviously is speaking his opinion without having ANY idea of what scientology is about at all. I cannot stand people who speak without knowing anything of what they are speaking about. ADAM: do some research!!! What you don't know CAN hurt you.

Posted On: Wednesday, May. 6 2009 @ 10:53AM
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Posted On: Sunday, Jan. 10 2010 @ 2:06PM
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