Good question. I think “safepointing” and co-opting community organizations is one area where Scientology might be making a bit of headway, and even gaining some recruits – and something they need to be called out on.

Scientology isn’t really “expanding” other than moving existing orgs into oversized facilities, largely empty but with bigger physical footprints. When they do have “openings” of these buildings, they try to invite public officials and civic leaders to attend and give speeches, though due to their increasingly unsavory reputation they seem to be having a harder time getting anyone of any stature. One thing to do would be to write in advance to the city and the police, civic and religious umbrella groups, and express concern about their normalizing Scientology, or presenting them with propaganda opportunities.

You could also keep any eye out for any activity related to their programs such as Narconon and Criminon, and the various supposed anti-drugs and “human rights” campaigns. There should be plenty of information about objections to what they are doing with those, to be found by searching online.

Scientology is also trying to position their facilities as available for use by others. Anyone considering that should know that the buildings were paid for through fraud and exploitation of members, as well documented for example in some of the discussion about St. Louis, and that they’re staffed entirely by supposed “religious workers” who are exploited and even human trafficked, suffering under horrendous pay and working conditions as bad as third-world sweatshops – and sometimes, actual abuse.

It’s not Scientology’s existence, it’s their abuses and deceitful tactics, that’s the problem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUPH5OhXC1A

This is an excellent comment Gus. It really highlights why people keep bringing up the “good old days”…. It’s not so much reminiscing in earlier times of “glory” but reacting to the constant statements of how things WILL be in the future if we just collect more money and buy nicer MEST. It is supposedly what these deluded souls are trying to achieve, and the reality is that it has nothing to do with MEST.

“I ask you to just imagine our perfectly designed building filled to capacity delivering LRH tech.”

OK, imagine this: The Briefing Course and Academy at ASHO being so packed, that roll call takes *15 fucking minutes.* If your name falls in the latter half of the alphabet, you can linger at the canteen for an extra 10 minutes because it takes that long for the supe to get to the Ts. The course room is so packed that it’s spilling out into the hallway, and you better arrive early to get a parking spot. And that’s the DAY course room!

Well there’s no need to imagine it. It’s reality. OVER 30 FUCKING YEARS AGO! Yeah, that’s what it was like, late ’70’s into the early ’80s. Talk about night and fucking day.

Very true AQ.

Mike – Soylent Green! LOL – a man after my heart – one who knows a good classic movie!

I know one staff who insisted that putting the ideal building there was part of “Be”, so “Be, Do and Have” is still in the correct sequence.
Back in the day, that staff was even super-literate.
I am under-whelmed.

I think I see what you did there.