A new exposé by Lawrence Wright lets outsiders know what’s really happening behind closed doors at the Church of Scientology. Details of inner workings, and the level of involvement the church has in the lives of Scientology practicing celebrities like Tom Cruise and John Travolta will all be revealed in the book, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief — but it’s not being published here.

While the decision to block the book in Canada forces us to question how free our speech really is, it’s actually a fear of lawsuits that’s created the issue. The Church loves to sue and legal traditions in Canada make it easier for plaintiffs to win defamation lawsuits than in the States. The publishing company, Random House Canada, wants to avoid a minefield of legal frustrations so the easy solution is for the book to stay out. If you don’t want to be left in the dark then a trip across the border is your only solution, then again maybe a black market for books will open up.

[via The Globe and Mail]

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Hallae Khosravi is an intern at Toronto Standard. Follow her on Twitter @hallaek. 

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