Editing Xenu (section)

== Church of Scientology's position ==
In its public statements, the Church of Scientology has been reluctant to allow any mention of Xenu. A passing mention by a trial judge in 1997 prompted the Church's lawyers to have the ruling [[Record sealing|sealed]], although this was reversed.<ref>{{cite news|last=Prendergast|first=Alan|work=Denver Westword |title=Nightmare on the net: A web of intrigue surrounds the high-stakes legal brawl between FACTnet and the Church of Scientology|date=March 6, 1997| url=http://www.westword.com/1997-03-06/news/nightmare-on-the-net/ |access-date=December 3, 2008|publisher=[[Village Voice Media]]}}</ref> In the relatively few instances in which it has acknowledged Xenu, Scientology has stated the story's true meaning can only be understood after years of study. They complain of critics using it to paint the religion as a science-fiction fantasy.<ref name="Observer 2004"/>

Senior members of the Church of Scientology have several times publicly denied or minimized the importance of the Xenu story, but others have affirmed its existence. In 1995, Scientology lawyer Earl Cooley hinted at the importance of Xenu in Scientology doctrine by stating that "thousands of articles are written about [[Coca-Cola]], and they don't print the [[Coca-Cola formula|formula for Coca-Cola]]".<ref>{{cite news | last=Hall | first=Charles W. | title=Court Lets Newspaper Keep Scientology Texts | newspaper=Seattle Times | date=August 31, 1995 | url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19950831/2139173/court-lets-newspaper-keep-scientology-texts | access-date=September 8, 2009 | archive-date=August 20, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110820012335/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19950831&slug=2139173 | url-status=live }}</ref> Scientology has many graduated levels through which one can progress. Many who remain at lower levels in the church are unaware of much of the Xenu story which is first revealed on [[Operating Thetan]] level three, or "OT III".<ref name="corydon1987" /><ref name="atack31">{{Harvnb|Atack|1990|p=31}}</ref> Because the information imparted to members is to be kept secret from others who have not attained that level, the member must publicly deny its existence when asked. OT III recipients must sign an agreement promising never to reveal its contents before they are given the [[Manila folder|manila envelope]] containing the Xenu knowledge.<ref name="atack31" /><ref name="Inside" /> Its knowledge is so dangerous, members are told, that anyone learning this material before they are ready could become afflicted with pneumonia.<ref name="browne" />

[[Religious Technology Center]] director [[Warren McShane]] testified in a 1995 court case that the Church of Scientology receives a significant amount of its revenue from fixed donations paid by Scientologists to study the OT materials.<ref name="brill">{{cite journal | last =Brill | first =Ann | author2 =Ashley Packard | title =Silencing Scientology's critics on the Internet: a mission impossible? | journal =Communications and the Law | volume =19 | issue =4 | pages =1–23 |date=December 1997 }}</ref> McShane said that Hubbard's work "may seem weird" to those that have not yet completed the prior levels of coursework in Scientology.<ref name="brill" /> McShane said the story had ''never'' been secret, although maintaining there were nevertheless [[trade secret]]s contained in OT III. McShane discussed the details of the story at some length and specifically attributed the authorship of the story to Hubbard.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/OTIII/mcshane-rj67.txt| title=Re: Ron's Journal 67| work=[[alt.religion.scientology]]| access-date=December 3, 2008| date=August 28, 1998| first=Mike | last=O'Connor| id=lepton-2808981630510001@lepton.dialup.access.net| format=TXT|publisher=[[David Touretzky]]}} (testimony under oath by Warren McShane of the Church of Scientology in ''RTC v. FactNet'', Civil Action No. 95B2143, United States Courthouse, Denver, Colorado, September 11, 1995)</ref>{{r|urban|page=104}}

When [[John Carmichael (Scientology)|John Carmichael]], the president of the Church of Scientology of New York, was asked about the Xenu story, he said, as reported in the September 9, 2007, edition of ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'': "That's not what we believe".<ref>{{cite news | last =Oppenheimer | first =Mark | title =Friends, thetans, countrymen |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=UK | date =September 9, 2007 | url =https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3667812/Friends-thetans-countrymen.html | access-date =December 3, 2008}}</ref> When asked directly about the Xenu story by [[Ted Koppel]] on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]'s ''[[Nightline (US news program)|Nightline]]'', Scientology leader [[David Miscavige]] said that he was taking things Hubbard said out of context.<ref name="nightline" /> However, in a 2006 interview with ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', [[Mike Rinder]], the then-director of the church's [[Office of Special Affairs]], said that "It is not a ''story'', it is an auditing level", when asked about the validity of the Xenu story.<ref name="Inside">{{cite magazine | first = Janet| last = Reitman | title = Inside Scientology: Unlocking the complex code of America's most mysterious religion | url = https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/9363363/inside_scientology/print|magazine=Rolling Stone | date = February 23, 2006 | access-date =December 3, 2008|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080622123603/http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/9363363/inside_scientology/print |archive-date = June 22, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In a [[Scientology and Me|BBC ''Panorama'' programme]] that aired on May 14, 2007, senior Scientologist [[Thomas W. Davis|Tommy Davis]] interrupted when celebrity members were asked about Xenu, saying: "None of us know what you're talking about. It's loony. It's weird."<ref>{{cite news | last =[[John Sweeney (journalist)|Sweeney, John]] | title =Scientology and Me | work =[[Panorama (TV series)|Panorama]] |publisher=BBC | date =May 14, 2007 | title-link =Scientology and Me }}</ref> In March 2009, Davis was interviewed by [[Investigative journalism|investigative journalist]] Nathan Baca for [[KESQ-TV]] and was again asked about the OT III texts.<ref name="kesq">{{cite news   | last =Baca  | first =Nathan  | title =Scientology Official Addresses Works of L. Ron Hubbard|work =[[KESQ-TV]]  | publisher =kesq.com  | date =March 12, 2009}}</ref> Davis told Baca "I'm familiar with the material", and called it "the confidential scriptures of the Church".<ref name="kesq" /> In an interview on [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] ''[[Nightline (U.S. news program)|Nightline]]'', October 23, 2009,<ref name="nightline1023">[https://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=8905042 Inside Scientology], [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] ''[[Nightline (U.S. news program)|Nightline]]'', October 23, 2009.</ref> Davis walked off the set when [[Martin Bashir]] asked him about Xenu. He told Bashir, "Martin, I am not going to discuss the disgusting perversions of Scientology beliefs that can be found now commonly on the internet and be put in the position of talking about things, talking about things that are so fundamentally offensive to Scientologists to discuss.&nbsp;... It is in violation of my religious beliefs to talk about them." When Bashir repeated a question about Xenu, Davis pulled off his microphone and left the set.<ref name="nightline1023" />

In November 2009 the Church of Scientology's representative in New Zealand, Mike Ferris, was asked in a radio interview about Xenu.<ref name="newstalk">{{cite news  | last =Brittenden | first =Pat  |author2=Petra Bagust  | title =Scientology | work =[[Newstalk ZB]] | publisher =[[The Radio Network]]  | date =November 29, 2009  }}</ref> The radio host asked, "So what you're saying is, Xenu is a part of the religion, but something that you don't want to talk about". Ferris responded, "Sure".<ref name="newstalk" /> Ferris acknowledged that Xenu "is part of the esoterica of Scientology".<ref>[http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10863877 Scientology wants NZ to 'ease up' on it], ''[[The New Zealand Herald]]'',  February 7, 2013</ref>