I have noted many times that the “humanitarian” and “4D campaigns” engaged in by scientology are simply photo and video opportunities that are then used for fundraising pitches.
It’s a repeated pattern that permeates all aspects of scientology. Staged events for video footage. Even inside the orgs we have routinely seen announcements for people to “come on course because SMP will be here filming,” or “we need people to gather on the street in front of the org for an SMP shoot.”
But the Volunteer Ministers/Drug Free World/Youth For Human Rights/Way to Happiness activities are the ultimate measure of staged events.
Just look at the above list of important instructions. Of course, it includes ensuring there are photos/videos. But NOTHING about collecting or counting the signatures or what to do with them… Or even HOW they will be used.
In fact, they have NO IDEA what these signatures are for other than an opportunity to get images of people doing so.
The photos and video footage will all be sent in to Scientology Media Productions (SMP) where someone will go through it to pick out any good footage. That will be combined with footage from other places and turned into a montage that makes it look like hundreds of people signed (with every org being told to do this, even if they only got 3 people each that would be 450). This video will be presented with the usual hype “all over the world people recognize us as the leaders in the fight for human rights, tens of thousands joined us in our campaign…” blah blah blah. The scrolls with the signatures are put in the trash. Nobody really cares about them, they were just props and if anyone sent them to OSA Int they wouldn’t have a clue what to do with them either… The video will be “proof” used by IAS Registrars to persuade people to hand over more cash to “support our activities” — yet the IAS funds NONE of this activity. They may sometimes pay for a video crew from SMP to fly somewhere to film “VMs in action” or the activities of an “IAS Freedom Medal Winner” but they are extremely stingy when it comes to doling out money — though if you listen to the IAS reg pitches you would imagine they are spending tens of millions every year “saving the planet.”
Just another aspect of the scam that is scientology.
I’m 42 years escaped, yet still get (a little) depressed when I see what Miscavige has done to scn.
if it weren’t for the fantasies, there would be no scientology.
And they’ve gotten even more fantastical in the recent decades. I feel sorry for the poor sheep who only know Mcsavage’s fiefdom as the reality of scientology. It was always somewhat expensive, but not to this extent. Ordinary middle-class folk could and did get to the advanced levels and grades while maintaining roofs over their heads, having families and retirement plans even if those plans included running scn franchises. Orgs got better buildings when they needed them, franchises had SOME freedom to earn living wages — org staffs never did have that chance.
I was sent out by Scientology Missions Int. for several of these.
I went to Fiji with Manu Toupo and others to start a mission.
Later I was sent by the IAS to do a project in Burkina Faso. The chief of their Supreme Court asked them to come and help people with Dianetics.
I was also in the Phillipines invited by a University in Manilla.
In each case the result was the same: Nothing. There was never any follow up. Nothing was done. The people who wanted help were just used for a picture opp.
At the IAS events there was fanfare and pictures, it sounded like things were going to expand, explode with success, spreading Scientology all across the globe.
All a lie.
Burkina Faso was the worst. They used those people in the most horrible way, getting them excited for help and then abandoning them.
I am scarred to this day for my part in this.
“We need some people who can pretend we are a religion.”
“No Xenu T Shirts”
——————————-
I wonder if the local Goodwill and Salvation Army stores were flooded with some HIGH quality T’s and Sweatshirts with XENU on them, in volume, and colors, would impact an area.
For sure XENU would get into their non-word-cleared heads and cause some conniptionism.
“XENU caused the Wall of Fire”. T’s and Sweats in high quality and volume, via the stores, at near free prices, would slowly edge into their reality.
“If XENU had not caused the 4th Dynamic Engram, then OT 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 wouldn’t be needed”
“Find out about Scientology’s Exorcism Steps OT 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 today!”
“Xenu is the reason for OT 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7”
xTeamXenu75to03
chuckbeatty
I have a similar little story about the falsity of their public relations work.
When I was high up in the cult I knew several members of the Gold shoot crew. They traveled around the world getting fake staged videos which could then be edited at gold with lots of completely fake statistics to fill a narrative.
One of these ended up on deck work along with me. I was helping the person with his OWs (sins for confession to those not in). He couldn’t stand the lies and false videos that they shot. Actually had some deep remorse at all the deception.
Soon thereafter he was disappeared from the base we were doing deck work and several of us who knew the person we’re severely spoken with that he broke security and was an SP and we were not to further spread the person’s lies to anyone or else.. .
This all happened about 2003 or 2004.
I’m sure that person was off-loaded shortly thereafter. Just an interesting parallel to this fake human rights petition.
The delusion of this destructive godless cult is immeasurable.
it’s not a “godless cult”. Their god is MONEY. Next in line is Davey-boy.
scn demands rights it strips from its followers as a matter of course. Freedom of speech? No talking about your case or verbal tech. Freedom of association? not with accused SPs even if they’re your blood relatives.
Why would you need to get signatures “in support” of something that was adopted a long time ago? I.guess if it makes sense, it’s not Scientology.
I was on staff back in the late-70s to early 80s.
They did not have these international events.
Events were carried out at the local Org level and were modest affairs.
We didn’t have all of those BS programs such as the IAS, Idle Morgues, WTH etc either.
One paid for services and nothing else.
Also, we did not have to listen to all the hyperbole or tolerate all of the cheering and standing up that seemed to become the norm at international events. I immediately hated all of this.
One of my friends from Prague said that these events would be a huge turn-off in the Czech Republic because they are very reminiscent of Communist Party Rallies.
The point is often made on this site and elsewhere that it is not possible to change anything in Scientology because everything that Hubbard said is set in stone.
I do not buy this because Miscavige set aside pretty much any of Hubbard’s policies he wished to and made Scientology far, far worse.
I was on staff at CCNashville from 2009 to 2011. And from my viewpoint it would be difficult to change anything. Reason? Most if my fellow staff members were young people who had grown up in Scientology and all they had ever known was David Miscavige and his twisted version of Scientology. Any attempts to depart from this would be met with stiff resistance.
“A key action in making human rights a reality in your zone is the collection og [sic] petition signatures…”
Really? It’s that easy? It costs so little in time, effort and commitment? Performatively signing a poster is key to bringing about human rights?
But what if the sponsors of said poster happen to take a dim view of human rights? Does that signature then help spread human rights commitment? Or does it simply help legitimize the atrocities committed by the campaign sponsors?
The stories Hubbard told about himself, his accomplishments and his “religion” were all fiction. The man was an incredible story teller which made him an incredible liar and con. Scientology has continued where he left off.
You have to love the lead photo in this posting with the Buddhist monks and their WTF expressions. Could it be that they are sincerely curious about this fake human rights campaign? I really doubt it. Perhaps with the insight they have gained from years of meditation practice they suspect that the “genius” behind all of this is none other than the author of Hymn of Asia, the incarnation of the Buddha himself. I’m sure that book is on every monk’s bookshelf or at least in the monastery library.
Try to do this in Red Square in front of Lenin’s Tomb. (What can I say? I’m an old school Cold Warrior.)
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
The purpose was and still is “look at us and see that we are normal and want good things like the rest of you.”
It was always for the optics, for people in scn and for public.
It seems that the actual good that could become of it was always lost because of the purposes for it, and the “quickie” nature of fawning for the PR.
When you really dive into it, there was no real help.
Back when I was in the cult, the PR aspect was obvious to me but I accepted it for the “greatest good.”
It seems more quickied nowadays.