It seems the media is becoming more aware of the truth about scientology.
This recent article in the Kansas City Star is not the sort of “goodwill” and “PR area control” scientology was hoping to garner from opening their new “ideal org” and launching into a PR offensive for the holiday season.
The title of the article alone is enough to send shivers down COB’s spine: Kansas City’s Church of Scientology opens a Winter Wonderland: Is this some ploy?
Ploy you ask? Ploy?
You can read the full article at the link above. I have a few thoughts about it.
Following the evocative headline, it really gets off on the wrong foot from scientology’s perspective:
The Church of Scientology has invited the public to its outdoor Winter Wonderland across from its new location at 18th Street and Grand Boulevard.
L. Ron Hubbard, the late science fiction writer and founder of the controversial and often maligned Church of Scientology, told his followers in 1968, “There was no Christ.”
And it descends into SP-dom from there. Committing the media equivalent of a High Crime, the author cites to the dreaded “critics”:
Scientology’s critics (they are many and outspoken) claim this and other such Winter Wonderlands around the country are a public relations ploy to draw in followers and “normalize” a church long alleged to manipulate its adherents. Yet one church spokeswoman said it’s simply an event to celebrate the season, celebrate their opening and to make their greater presence known.
Somehow, Kansas City has a spokesperson who actually engaged with the media? This will probably be her first and last appearance:
“First of all, I don’t know where the information about disavowing Christ came from,” said Bennette Seaman, public relations spokeswoman for the Church of Scientology of Kansas City. “Scientology is a multi-religion. You can participate in any religion and still be a Scientologist. I happen to be a Baptist, so I believe in God.”
Ouch, even I could feel the pain of that footbullet. “I happen to be a Baptist, so I believe in God.” And if you weren’t a Baptist, but just a scientologist, presumably you wouldn’t believe in God? And what are you doing being the spokesperson for scientology if you are a Baptist? There are no scientologists around to speak?
As for the “I don’t know where the information about disavowing Christ came from” — a very fast google search will help you out. Actually, you can jut read on in the article.
Seaman, with five children and six grandchildren, said she’s been a Scientologist since she was 19.
Oh dear, they then commit the second High Crime of journalism and mention Leah Remini and Going Clear:
Leah Remini, who played Kevin James’ wife on the TV Show “The King of Queens” and was a Scientologist for 35 years, now uses air quotes in calling Scientology a religion and, in her book “Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology,” has declared it a “cult” that does bad in the belief it is doing good.
In 2015, HBO released the documentary “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief,” which catalogs what it presents as Scientology’s long history of deception, manipulation and even intimidation of followers who challenge the church.
Seaman has a wonderful response to that: “Most of the controversy comes from people who just don’t like the church.”
Not exactly the definitive Dead Agent there Benette. Perhaps people don’t like scientology because it defrauds and abuses them? “Most of the criticism of the KKK comes from people who just don’t like them.” Handled the hell out of that one….
Oh dear, journalistic High Crime #3. Citing to an expert that scientology has not paid:
“Scientology has no relationship with Christianity, other than using various Christian ministers as ways to legitimize the organization,” said Stephen Kent, a professor of sociology at the University of Alberta, who has long studied and written about Scientology. “Theologically, there is no connection. In fact, one can find passages in Hubbard’s writings that deny the reality of Jesus.”
Oh shit, he is running the table. Now he mentions Tony Ortega:
There are also recordings. On his Scientology-critical website, The Underground Bunker, journalist Tony Ortega has posted audio of a 1968 recording of Hubbard aboard one of the Scientology ships, part of what it called Sea Org.
And it gets worse still, now bringing up the dreaded Xenu.
In the recording, Hubbard presents an origin story. He speaks of an intergalactic leader named Xenu or Xemu that existed some 75 million years ago. There had been a civil war. He brought the corpses of individuals down to Earth, then known as Teegeeach, cast their bodies into a volcano, which was ignited with hydrogen bombs. (The cover of Hubbard’s book “Dianetics” features a volcano.)
After the explosion, the individuals’ thetans, released from the bodies, would eventually be implanted with memories and take refuge, either individually or in clusters, inside of human beings. One of the memories, which Hubbard called R6, contained the concept of Christianity.
“Somebody, somewhere, on this planet, back around 600 B.C., found some pieces of R6,” Hubbard says on the recording. “I don’t know how they found it, either by watching mad men or something. But since that time, they have used it, and it became what is known as Christianity: the man on the cross.
“There was no Christ. But the man on the cross is shown as every man, so, of course, each person seeing a crucified man has an immediate feeling of sympathy for this man. So you get many PCs who say they are Christ.”
But never fear, the Baptist spokeswoman will deal with this:
Seaman insisted the story of Xenu has not been part of her Scientology experience. In books and documentaries, former Scientologists have said it is only revealed to people who have reached the church’s highest auditing levels.
“I have never studied anything like that,” Seaman said of Xenu. She also said that some recordings of Hubbard are not considered valid by the church.
“All I know is that there were a lot of materials put out a long time ago that were not official things of the church,” she said. “The church has been going through a huge evolution of cleaning that stuff up. Meaning, ensuring that all the materials from Scientology are true and from the founder. They’ve gone through recordings and books, and anything that was written, to make sure that it is all there as he (Hubbard) intended it.”
Ah yes, Xenu is “old material”… (But I have to give her some sort of pass here, she is forbidden to acknowledge Xenu publicly — I did the same thing when I was a spokesperson). But then again, being a Baptist, she probably hasn’t read OT III. Actually, most scientologists in places like Kansas City haven’t read OT III.
Then she ponders the imponderable:
She said she doesn’t see why the church is so controversial.
“It’s hard for me to understand,” she said. “’We have so many programs that are good for the community. We have a huge, truth-about-drugs program. Happiness: There is a moral code for society that any religion can utilize. They are just things that are good for society. That all we want to do is help.”
And her question then gets answered for her with information and quotes from Tony Ortega and Stephen Kent about front groups and the fact that while they are opening new buildings, the membership is shrinking.
Of course church lady says it’s just the opposite. But not very convincingly.
The final nail in the coffin of the massive expansion is the sad description of what the grand opening of Winter Wonderland entailed:
But when the event launched on Saturday, about 60 people gathered in the bitter cold to watch Santa and Mrs. Claus switch on the lights of a miniature North Pole village, with signs on candy-cane posts for the Cocoa Cabin and Santa’s Stables, for pony rides, crafts with Mrs. Claus, a food truck and photos with Elsa of Disney’s “Frozen.”
60 people? Now that’s flourishing and prospering.
I just long for the day we see a bunch of Law Enforcement people doing the perp walk with the Poop-Head and walk him right into some penitentiary. They just need to be careful that none of them step on the tiny fucker and squash him.
I will organize some travel plans for people who want to go visit his grave site after he dies.
We can then all piss on his grave – either individually or in groups.
I will be charging rock bottom prices for these trips. I feel no need to make a profit doing something that will bring so many people such great joy.
Do the good (read: ferociously litigious) people at Disney know someone is dressing up as their intellectual property and making bank off of it?
This article and even more so, the spokesperson, undoubtedly set a certain pompadour on fire! 5′ 13” is sorrowfully hitting the bottle, perhaps also an exec or two, and reminiscing about the good old days when the worst suspicion about scn was that it was a CIA front.
The tribble with the giant parasitic tumour attached to it is shit scared of being dragged into court and is slowly drowning himself from the inside (to paraphrase a line from The Goon Show) with more barrels of scotch as he panics about his lawyers handling of the situation.
As we know $camology will shamelessly use non-$camology religions or any holidays to squeeze more money from the shrinking base. Always have and always will.
Way to go Kansas City Star! You truly get it. Maybe you can teach the LA Times something…..Hello, LA Times?? Nahhhh…crickets.
Interesting and highly encouraging data in this article, Mike, along with laugh-out-loud commentary “Handled the hell out of that one…” LOL! Super snark!
I’m not sure what is the worst part of the CoS spokesperson’s comments. Is she that uninformed about her own religion or is she just plain lying?
Also, what kind of a religion doesn’t want people to know what is the main tenent of their religion? Can you imagine going to a Presbyterian church for 19 years and not be given the philosophy that God the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the Son of God are the Holy Trinity? Absolutely crazy.
The worst part of being a Scientology spokesperson is you have to answer questions from non-Scientologists when they literally have more access to information about it than you do.
That’s difficult to do for a long time without screwing it up somehow & being “demoted” into a dark hole somewhere.
Good luck Pat Harney, hang in there
It’s a real mystery how anyone can agree to be a spokesperson for this cult without understanding it inevitably means they will one day be bound to be condemned to the RPF by the so-called Poop of the scam.
That in turn means they will have to suffer all manner of abuse and/or harassment.
Why does anyone agree to accept this kind of role? Is the truth that they have no choice? Or could it be they believe they are somehow special and what has happened to all the others who have taken a similar job will not happen to them?
“Also, what kind of a religion doesn’t want people to know what is the main tenent of their religion?”
Let’s see…for starters:
The kind of religion that for all PRACTICAL purposes is a business masquerading as a religion so it doesn’t have to pay income tax or living wages to its staff.
I wonder who is going to be made to RPF’d for that excellent and informative article and horrible cherch PR. Certainly not what they had in mind when they conceived and executived a Winter Wonderland event. Great job Kansas City Star! And excellent writing from Eric Adler, support from the editor, and being part of McClatchy, which still remembers what journalism is. Outstanding.
“The church has been going through a huge evolution of cleaning that stuff up. Meaning, ensuring that all the materials from Scientology are true and from the founder. They’ve gone through recordings and books, and anything that was written, to make sure that it is all there as he (Hubbard) intended it.”
Hmmm…sounds like after she made her first statement about “cleaning that stuff up” she realized her mistake and tried to waffle and distract by insinuating, very vaguely I might add, that the recording in question may not even be Hubbard. That’s what I took from her second sentence about “ensuring that all the materials from Scientology are true and from the founder.” So that recording wasn’t from the founder? And what about all this about making sure that all materials are ‘true’? How the hell do you do that? We of course know it isn’t true but when your inside the bubble it’s ALL true. You accept it or you’re not a Scientologist. Plus this poor spokesperson just don’t seem to get that there are multiple recordings and writings by Hubbard on this subject.
Winter Wonderland song KC style, sung by David Miscavige:
Bennett Dear, burst your bubble
Oh, are you in for trouble
You screwed up, alas,
You’re no Rinder, lass!
Run yourself right to the RPF.
Thanks, Aqua. Now I won’t be able to get the altered lyrics out of my head for a day or two!!! LOL
Hey, Peter. Looks like my blog therapy = your earworm 🙂
I think it’s important to differentiate the holiday season of Santa Clause, elves, reindeer, giving presents and those related traditions from the religious aspects of celebrating the birth of Christ.
It’s obvious what CO$ intentions are, normalizing CO$ in the view of public, but lets not confuse Santa Clause with a Christian celebration.
Still it´s ALL an Implant according to Source (LRH)
…..and yet they use a “cross” as their symbolism. Too many contradictions and inconsistencies.
“some recordings of Hubbard are not considered valid by the church”
Someone is very busy wiping those old recordings tonight.
Seems like there might be a trend 🙂
“Bennette Seaman report to ethics, Bennette Seaman report to ethics. Thank you. All hands, the Sea Org mission and new PR spokesperson will be arriving in 3…2…1…”
In our small local community in Florida, we have had two huge new churches built in the last three years.
The strategy they use is very similar to Scientology which I found out after research. The Churches do not have “traditional names”. They are all community churches with that type of appearance. Basically they get people in to mass meetings and do not talk about religion. They talk about forming friendships, networking for jobs and social events. After a few years, they get you into the inner circle if they can. One of the churches is a Baptist front group. They other I am not sure. But anyway, the research shows a decline in religion. Our small community is expanding rapidly. Hundred upon hundreds of cars on Sunday in massive parking lots.
Interesting data, George.
It made me think of Scientology. Just get people into the doors. We only have about 15,000 people in the entire community but we have over twenty churches. Of course, now that we have the Amazon Plant in town, the place is going wild. My daughter encountered a similar pattern in Alabama. She was constantly recruited by the Baptists with a similar line – jobs, networking, family. The traditional churches are in serious decline. You can see that on Sunday with the empty parking lots. Thank goodness Hubbard never knew about the internet but copied the Nazi’s to form Scientology.
It is So encouraging to see mainstream media calling these criminals out, At Long Last. And, note that not only do they still not have an Official Spokesperson, but the individual they’ve put forward this time is a real liability, even denying the ‘tech’ (i.e., “some recordings of Hubbard are not considered valid by the ‘church'”). No doubt she’s already been dispatched to the RPF!
And she said that she herself has not read anything of the Xenu story. She tells the truth here. She is probably not even Clear so of course she has not done OT III where the Xenu story first appears. But how is that, “I never personally saw or read it” any kind of a defense? The truth is that most of the Scns have not read the Xenu story because it is forbidden for anyone below the level of OT III to know about it and most are below OT III.
She [Cult of Scamology spokes-hole] also said that “some recordings of Hubbard are not considered valid by the church.”
Ok kids, remember CoS Axiom #1? If a cult member is communicating they are lying.
Wow Mike,
Thanks for flagging this incredible piece.
That the Kansas City Star would run such an article;
That Eric Adler would hit the key notes,
That Benette Seaman would give an honest attempt to make scientology believable;
That the cult is now fully exposed everywhere; and that the truth is revealed.
The curtains have been pulled further back, whatcha gonna do now Dave?
It does my heart good to read that some journalists actually find the truth, know the truth and will write and print the truth about the church of scientology.
Merry Christmas to those that
One: Have the truth about the church of scientology.
Two: Know the truth about the church of scientology.
Three: Through research and due diligence, know the truth about the abuses inflicted by the church of scientology are correct.
Four: Speak and inform others the truth about the church of scientology.
Mary, I really think, going forward, Everyone should refer to the CULT of $cientology (Not ‘church’); it would go a long way toward educating/alerting the heretofore ‘un-indoctrinated’ public (as well as the Errant IRS) as to the true nature of the beast. Thank you; just an earnest and well-meant suggestion.
Some of Hubbard’s recordings are not considered valid by the church??? Uh oh.
Amazing. Not valid? Someone IMITATING voice? On TAPE? Come ON! Puh- leeez!
Edit: IMITATING Hubbard’s voice?
That’s pretty squirrel. The ex-Scientologist tech personnel in me jolted at that.
I was pretty shocked to see her throwing Hubbard under the bus like that. I can imagine a several possibilities:
* It was a complete mistake under pressure
* It’s a sign that some members and even staff are rationalizing away the seemingly crazier things Hubbard said – in contravention to KSW
* They’re so desperate about the Hubbard craziness being brought to light by the internet and media in recent years, that they’re now willing to tell “acceptable truths” bordering on Judas-like denial of Hubbard
* Miscavige could be starting to back off on Hubbardian literalism
It’s hard to fathom how Bennette has been in scn since she was 19 and now has grand children, which is many years, and she has never heard of Zenu? That means she’s never made it up the bridge in ALL those years? Yet SHE, who is never made it up the bridge, is the spokesperson for them? And when she gives the reporter that tired old line of “we do so much good for the community” with the CCHR, WTH etc. is just plain brainwashing. She hasn’t personally seen anything of that either I would bet. She may have seen photo ops but they are doctored. If they truly were doing all that good in the community wouldn’t they be welcomed with open arms by now for all the people they got off drugs and made so happy? All those false stats mean nothing in the real world. The Red Cross is recognized world wide because they actually do help people. Not so much scn front groups with their fake photo ops during various crisis.
The fact that Sea Org members exist who have not made it up the bridge (and for that matter, haven’t even gone CLEAR yet) testifies to the fact that they do not believe in the claims of Scientology.
Think about it: “Scientology makes the able more able” is the claim. So a Scientologist is more able than a wog, a clear is even more able, and an OT is more able yet, right? And more able people can get more work done in less time, right? In that case one would expect that the very first thing a new Sea Org member could expect would be training to get them moving up the bridge A.S.A.P. Most or all of their time (at least, at the start) could be expected to be taken up with training. Given that their needs are taken care of and they spend 12+ (ok, 16+) hours a day at work, they could move up to clear at least in a fraction of the time it takes public. Which is, what, a year on average? A Sea Org member could do that in a couple months, tops.
The fact that they don’t do this means that THEY DON’T BELIEVE THAT “SCIENTOLOGY MAKES THE ABLE MORE ABLE.”
No wonder they keep Sea Org members so busy and exhausted. If they weren’t, they might realize this.
jmsr
PS it also means that they’re in breach of contract since Sea Org members are supposed to get free training up the bridge but that’s another issue
Oh, she’s full of it. She’s heard of Ole Xenu by now. Too bad the interviewer didn’t know to ask her, “Have you done OT3 yet?” Tony O would have. But I’m not complaining! This interviewer did just fine!
Rosemarie,
scientology completions show her doing the expanded grades 1992-1996, Clear , and IAS Honor roll. Can’t think she is SO since she has family. Maybe just a cool-aid drinker.
I too think the thought police are going to rough her up over this open discussion she had with the media.
Oh, the humanity! Just one article from a major metropolitan newspaper can undo a year’s worth of Scn TV. Imagine an article a week coming from different media outlets. It wouldn’t be long before you’d see that COS hot air zeppelin going down in flames.
I admit I don’t care that Hubbard said Jesus didn’t exist. He was not a scholar, but there ARE scholars who make a good case that Jesus didn’t exist. Certainly, no serious scholar makes a case that the Jesus as portrayed in the gospels (with historical errors and miracles borrowed from the Old Testament and from pagan gods) really existed. The scholarly case FOR a historical Jesus is about trying to intuit who the legendary stories in the gospels must originally have been based on. The methodologies for doing this have repeatedly been shown to be invalid, even by the people using them. There is no historical evidence truly independent of the gospels (not based on the gospels or Christian accounts from the gospels) for Jesus’ life. I think it will take longer than it did for Moses and the patriarchs (because so much of modern mythology founds itself on the Jesus stories), but eventually most serious scholars will admit that Jesus may not have existed and that we have no way of telling from the historical evidence available to date whether he did. I personally consider it unlikely simply because the letters of Paul were written two decades before the gospels and contain absolutely none of those stories about Jesus that were supposedly kept in pristine condition from the time of the supposed events until they were written down 40 years after the fact — nothing on Jesus’ ministry, teachings, disciples, Mary, Joseph, the various contradictory birth narratives, Pilate, etc. He doesn’t even say that it was a Roman execution. So I don’t buy that those stories were all perfectly preserved for 40 years and yet one of the earliest and most honored Christian apostles, right smack in the middle of that 40 years, somehow heard none of it and included none of it in his letters. It bothered me even when I was a Christian.
For anyone who cares to look into the actual history — rather than just re-affirm their pre-existing beliefs about it — I recommend reading Richard Carrier’s books, Proving History and On the Historicity of Jesus. His isn’t the only treatise, but it’s the simplest and most intellectually honest, while simultaneously being one of the very few legitimately peer-reviewed works on the subject. He puts the chances of Jesus having existed historically somewhere between 1 in 3 and 1 in 12000.
What’s relevant to me in all these denials by Scientology spokespeople is that they lie so readily. The STAAD guy saying Scientologists don’t have to believe anything, when belief is enforced so persistently and so cruelly. This woman saying she’s a Baptist when any Baptist beliefs would be ferreted out and “handled” during auditing and sec checks. They’re liars. That’s what bugs me. Not whether or not they believe in Jesus.
Hubbard obviously rubbed elbows with people who read scholarly works, and picked up bits and pieces that he then wove into his talks and teachings. His claim about Jesus being a pedophile, for instance, likely has its origins in Morton Smith’s work on the Secret Gospel of Mark, which Hubbard must have heard talk of at a cocktail party or something. It’s also obvious, and to some extent documented, that Hubbard read almost nothing himself and instead relied on second-hand anecdotes like that – the details and context of which he typically didn’t even fully understand.
I agree that what’s important is the way that Scientology lies about such things, and everything else – and perhaps more key, that for them it’s always about finding ways to try to manipulate “wog” outsiders with the ultimate goal of eventually gaining power.
“They’re liars. That’s what bugs me. Not whether or not they believe in Jesus.”
Exactly. I have no idea if Jesus existed, but if he did, it was as a human being. And I don’t like that Christmas has taken over every idea of winter celebration — pine trees covered in lights aren’t from Bethlehem.
Why can’t Scientologists say, “we’re celebrating a festival of lights, you don’t have to be Christian to do that,” rather than faking it? It’s perfectly acceptable not to be Christian, no matter what a lot of people claim. But like their founder, Scientologists just lie about absolutely everything, even when the truth would serve them better.
“Its perfectly acceptable not to be a Christian, no matter what a lot of people claim.”
You just answered your own question. Scientology cares OUTRAGEOUSLY what people think and position themselves accordingly. To do this correctly is cult POLICY.
Of course its OK not to be a Christian, but (in the USA at least) there are MANY people who believe its totally NOT ok to not be a Christian. In fact, not only is it not ok to be a non-Christian, they also believe its UNAMERICAN to not be a Christian.
In fairness, the cult doesn’t give a damn WHAT the prevailing beliefs of society are. All they want to do and MUST do per LRH policy is position themselves with what is MOST generally considered acceptable, safe and respectable. In America, that’s not Judaism or Islam, or Taosim or Buddhism, its Christianity.
If the Jewish religion predominated in America then instead of crosses, Scientology orgs would have Star of Davids on top of their orgs and they’d be doing Hanukkah and Passover events instead of Christmas and Easter.
Some more data about positioning: Flog (Flag) for many years called itself, “The MECCA of Technical Perfection”. This was in all their promo, for a long time. Well, not long after 9/11 the cult scrapped THAT phrase containing THAT word. Why? There are, after all 1 BILLION Muslims on planet Earth and only 19 of them flew planes into the World Trade Center. But many, many Americans don’t think that way. Mecca = Muslim = Terrorist = BAD. That’s how such people “think”. But no matter, after 9/11 was enough grumbling in the USA about Muslims to make any mention of the word “Mecca” bad positioning for the cult.
Aqua – Thank You, for your words, your Passion, and, above all, consistently referring to $ as The CULT!
You’re welcome, and right back at you, Belynda 🙂
I will never forget reading in Karen Schless Pressley’s book Escaping Scientology An Insiders True Story about how she was called on Christmas Eve and ordered to come in and get on course, and when she protested it was Christmas Eve, she was threatened with ethics actions.
Scientologists, in their devotion to Blubbard, RUIN EVERY SINGLE JOY IN LIFE
This song is dedicated to the hundreds and hundreds of courageous SP’s like Karen DLC, Jeff Augustine, Nancy Many, Arnie Lerma, Marc Headley, Aaron Smith-Levin, Tory Magoo, Ron Miscavige Senior, Chris Shelton, Jenna Miscavige, Janet Reitman, Lawrence Wright, Alex Gibney, Tony Ortega, Mike Rinder, Leah Remini and many, many others, who have painstakingly dedicated their lives to exposing Scientology.
Sung to “Let it Snow”
Scientology – “Let em Blow”
Ohhhhhh… Ideal Orgs on earth are frightful
And the REGGES are not delightful
Scientology is a scam…. don’t you know
Let em Blow! Let em Blow! Let them Blow!
When you finally reach the top
You’ll be divorced… financially ruined… eating slop
But if you donate your savings tonight
All the way home… you’ll key outta sight
Ohhhh….The Ideal Org fire is dying
Empty buildings, people leaving, no denying
Due to the efforts of the Aftermath Show
Scientology’s a no go…nothing expanding…dying slow
Ohhhhh….the exposure doesn’t show signs of stopping
And I’ve brought some corn for popping
And my channel is tuned to the Aftermath Show
Staff will Blow! Staff will Blow! Staff will Blow!
Merry Christmas!!
Funny.
Cute! 🙂
I came to the FB group to post this article (I live in Kansas City), but see that Mike beat me to it. Great blog post. So far the ~60 comments on the Kansas City Star (newspaper) FB post are about 50/50. SO many people don’t know how bad this cult really is.
Tiny correction, Mike, “…in places like Kansas …” Kansas City (and this Scientology building) is actually in the state of Missouri. Confusing, I know – there are 2 cities, Kansas City, KS and Kansas City, MO, straddling the state line, but all the “stuff” (KC Chiefs, Royals, Scientologists, LOL) are in the Missouri city.
I wanted to send a congratulatory message at the end of that article to the author yesterday, but they didn’t have comments.
Just shows you that the internet will be the ultimate death of the beast.
I do agree. Wholeheartedly.
The internet will be the death of not only Scientology but just about every religion. It’s hard to tell what’s worse for them though: the availability of information that disproves their claims or the simple fact that, in a free society, people can walk away without consequences. That simple change that’s happened over the last five decades or so, may or may not be a bigger factor than the rise of the internet – but together, they’re devastating.
I got into Scientology a little over 30 years ago because I was assured that it was a religion “in name only”. I was seeking tools for self-help. I had zero interest in joining up with a religion or a religious belief SYSTEM. No small reason for my staying in the cult was for so long was that for many years it did not SEEM like a cult. Nor did it seem like a religion. Around the early aughts, following 9/11, things began to change, become more dictatorial, more “religious”. A number of times I communicated words to the effect that “I did not sign up for this”. I wanted tools for self help and to help others. I figured this way: I paid my money. ” If the tech is priceless, OK, I won’t argue with you. But keep in mind, YOU charged for it. YOU decided the dollar amount that it was worth to deliver it to me. YOU put a price on it, and I paid it! So leave me alone!” That’s how I THOUGHT. Of course, I didn’t necessarily SAY it that way (hangs head in shame).
Hey, don’t blame yourself for anything. As Chris Shelton pointed out, “Nobody joins a cult!” You get deceived into it, and those in work hard to maintain the deception. That you eventually figured it out is praiseworthy.
It seems to me that Joining a cult is a lot like being in the grip of a boa constrictor.
Once the snake has you in its grip, no matter which way you turn, no matter how you move to try and escape, every single movement just results in the grip getting tighter as you get squeezed harder and harder.
These criminal cults may be all kinds of the very worst things known to humanity but they ain’t stupid. They’ve been studying their techniques for enslaving people and controlling their minds and at this point, they are pretty much expert in that area. Nobody does it better than these dirty criminal creeps!
Once you are in their clutches, it’s almost impossible to escape.
Thank you, James and Skyler.
Skyler: I think that scio puts the lie to your final statement. Just look how few of the many remain. The lists of those who’ve left are becoming larger and larger while the influx continues to dip. Back in the late 60s, scio numbers were reported as “around” 13 MILLION. I know it for sure since I was the PR guy who got that number published in a major German news magazine. It spread from there. Back then, there was not even a hint of the internet so reporters copied each other and that 13M number spread. (It’s a truly funny story of how it took place and I still smile about it.)
“Nobody joins a cult!”
I must be the exception that proves the rule. Some years back, I joined a group that I knew up front to be a cult. Why? Well, it was a cult by my definition (based on structure and beliefs), but it was relatively benign and not destructive or openly abusive. They had a meditation practice I found helpful, and I needed some help. So I joined it for some months. I told my friends I was joining a cult so that they would give me reality checks when I needed them. Like tethers. Just as I was ready to quit, the leader shut the group down. (I was ready to quit because the cultish group culture was really starting to wear on me. It was cold, unfeeling, and at times surprisingly delusional. It wasn’t real community. I could see how the cultish aspects could easily become more destructive if people believed it more than I did.)
I often hear people say things like “No one deliberately joins a cult,” so I feel that I have to point out that the number may be very small, but it is not zero.
The Org should have just stuck with handing out free KC Barbeque from the best place in town, all you can eat. Heck, I’ve never been to Kansas City, but if I was in town, I’d have shown up for that …
A truly workable idea, Joe. This is why you should be on staff 🙂