Flag Building

Article summary

The Flag Building, formerly known as the Super Power Building, is the largest building in Clearwater, Florida, and is owned by the Church of Scientology. The building was built principally to deliver Scientology's Super Power Rundown, a special program intended to train someone to use all of their 57 "perceptics" (senses). Construction began in 1998 but halted in 2003. The city assessed daily fines to encourage progress and completion of the building, suspecting that the Church was deliberately delaying construction and using the incomplete project as a fundraising cash cow while diverting millions of dollars in donations to numerous other real estate purchases and construction projects around Clearwater. It is estimated that at least $145 million was raised by Church fundraising towards the project. The building finally opened on November 17, 2013.

Key claims

1. members: 1,218 members — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. members: 40 percent — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
3. publication date: 2007 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the members is "1,218 members". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the members is "40 percent". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. The record states that the publication date is "2007". What evidence would count against this claim?
5. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
6. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373253798