I never suggested making Mike’s blog “ALL about finding the good in Scn and Hubbard.” As you said, many people need open discussion of the bad. I hope Mike will continue to provide that opportunity. I only object to the other extreme — making the blog all about the bad. Neither “all good” nor “all bad” are the truth. And ultimately only the truth will set you completely free.

Bravo! It’s so good to read a narrative of trying it on for size and not falling prey.

My condolences for the life and family lost.

Despite the ravages, reading your post was soothing in its strength.

Thank you!

If this blog became all about Finding the Good in Scn and Hubbard, and coming up with our own little brand and pathway to spiritual goodies and universal answers using scn….

I’m outta here.

Perhaps you can start your own blog and gather ye like minded people.

I have no urge to sort through it all and find any good. Four decades of lies are enough for me. I don’t CARE if there are any gems.

I KNOW I CAN BE FOOLED.
I KNOW HOW SERIOUSLY DEEPLY AND FOREVERLY I CAN BE FOOLED.

I was a scientologist for the bulk of my life. ’nuff said.

……….

“we’ve heard them all before, from you and others, repeated for years”

No, not we. Some. And Some of us are still wiping the goo from our eyes.

I don’t come here to find the good in scn or hubbard. I come because this is the best place on the web for UTRs with everything to lose, no one to talk to, and who are trying to process the complete and utter devastation that accompanies realizing that everything in your life was lie and all was wasted and there is no reality left …. and sometimes…. no air to even breathe.

I ignore all the win-clingers – for me they’re in the same gravy boat as the fully INs. I don’t begrudge them anything, but I’m not here to listen to that. I weed.

Congratulations to all those who’ve moved on and are happy.

It’s just not everybody.

Dawn, I only wish I could have intercepted you in the early 90’s and had a coffee and a talk with you. You did not deserve scientology and how bad you were mistreated by scientology. I would like to send you a hug out over the internet!

Thank you for sharing your story Zilpah. I am so impressed with your ability at such a young age to stand so strong and not be manipulated, if only more people could do that! You asked pertinent and sensible questions and made wise decisions. I think that the early procedures of Scientology designed to suppress emotions lay the foundation for later emotional manipulation. I think your conclusions are logical and your thought processes are good. Very good post.

Oh YES… it couldn’t’;t have gotten much worse LOL 🙂

Dr. Dee, excellent comment.

Brian, the reason I didn’t address your “What If” points was simply that we’ve heard them all before, from you and others, repeated for years. Many of them are completely true. Some are exagerrated. Some are “who knows?” But nearly all of them are currently irrelevant from my perspective.

I already know that the Church of Scientology is an evil, corrupt cult, that betrayed the loyalty it earlier earned by delivering “some great wins” as you put it. I already know I’m not going back to it. And I already know that there’s so much negative information on the internet about it, that anyone can find easily, that creating more such information as this blog and especially your posts do is just no longer necessary or even useful.

What’s needed now is discussion of what comes next for us. LRH and Scientology may or may not have been completely good and sincere originally, but the experiences we had with the subject 40, 50, and 60 years ago were certainly better than those we had later. So let’s identify the good and bad in the subject that led to those good and bad experiences, and create a new subject that utilizes the good and avoids the bad.

This would necessarily involve demoting LRH from his status as one-and-only Source, and giving deserved recognition and inclusion to the post-LRH work of former LRH research associates such as John Galusha, John McMaster, Alan Walter, Bill Robertson, and others. Our task would be to determine what actually works to free people and what doesn’t, and codify a new subject that would be what we always wanted, and for a time believed, Scientology to be.

Most of us had high purpose when we got into Scientology, and initially had “great wins” before we were betrayed. Why drop that high purpose just because our efforts to achieve it through Scientology eventually didn’t work out?

My pushing the idea of still utilzing the good in Scientology isn’t defending LRH or “still drinking the kool-aid.” I’ve moved on. The people still trapped in the kool-aid include those who consider it necessary to fight and destroy what’s left of Scientology as a subject.

I wouldn’t want Mike’s blog to cease being of service to those who still need it. I’d just like to see it widen its scope. To me, “Something Can Be Done About It” means “How Do We Get Back On Purpose and Succeed This Time?”

This thread is a great study in what my post was about. On this thread are some passionate defenders of Ron and his techniques.
I have no problem with Scientologists defending their faith. I had great wins in Scientology also.

But one thing pops out in listening to the Scientology defenders:

Not one of them even mentions any of the “What Ifs.” Not one of them brought up any ideas to counter my ideas. They made the argument about me as a person, and how there is something bad about me for writting my post. Just like what my post theorized.

It’s my opinion that they have demonstrate the phenomenon of what happens when these ideas about critics become accepted dogma: ideas are denied and persons are attacked.

WHAT IF L Ron Hubbard wasn’t such a control freak?

WHAT IF L Ron Hubbard respected parents’ raising of children and hadn’t personally, in the 60s, canceled by Flag Order the Parents’ Committee, which was the only advocate voice for parents and children that ever officially existed in the Sea Org?

WHAT IF L Ron Hubbard hadn’t taught and forced others to be control freaks just like him, violating others’ basic human rights?

WHAT IF L Ron Hubbard had had the virtues of patience, tolerance, sincerity or fairness?

WHAT IF L Ron Hubbard had had a gentle, loving, humane and tolerant nature instead of being a ruthless control freak?