A World Without
A Critical Examination of the Goal of the Church of Scientology
By Cheryl Sola
COPYRIGHT © 2001 CHERYL SOLA
FOR PERMISSION TO USE IN WHOLE OR PART
Acknowledgements
Introduction Scientology claims that its goal is a world without war, crime and insanity.1 The mechanism by which Scientology plans to achieve this goal is by the process of "clearing" the planet,2 which will be explained in more detail below.In late 1977, this author was introduced to Scientology and its utopian goal. On the surface, it sounded worthwhile. But every year, even with unimaginable pressure to achieve this goal, it never happened. During the 13 years I was involved with Scientology, technically I trained to be a Class IV auditor, Purification Rundown Case Supervisor, Happiness Rundown Auditor, and Scientology Minister. Administratively, I trained to be a financial executive (Treasury Secretary), Staff Section Officer (executive in charge of staff) and an Ethics Officer. I achieved the alleged state of Clear and the last action I was on was OT preps.3 In early 1991, burned out and suffering from overwhelming disillusionment with the Church of Scientology, I made the decision to leave. I still did not know what Scientology was really all about until I discovered it (and its critics) on the Internet in 1997. For the past 3.5 years, this author has communicated with many former members and concerned families of members, and has performed hundreds of hours of research, culminating in a unique perspective from within and without. Is it possible that Scientology will ever be able to achieve its goal? Let's take a look. Four years after my departure, David Miscavige, head of the Church of Scientology, admitted in a 1995 speech to the International Association of Scientologists, that Scientology still had not achieved its goal. He said that:
In 1995, Dianetics had been in existence 45 years and Scientology 41 years. Yet, the goal had not been achieved. That year, Mr. Miscavige targeted the Year 2000, five years in the future, as the date by which the objectives would be achieved that would resolve the world's problems. |
As this paper is being finalized, the Year 2000 is waning fast. Psychiatry in all its forms still exists, apparently unaffected by the Scientology objective. As to whether Scientology has made it to the forefront of Society in any positive fashion is debatable. Which society? Not Greece, Scientology was banned there.5 How about Spain? The President of the Church of Scientology was among 70 Scientologists arrested on 12 criminal counts and appears to be dodging trial.6 Israel? It shut down a Scientology school. It considers Scientology to be "the most menacing cult in Israel"7 and "a most dangerous cult."8 How about France? It is considering banning Scientology.9 How about Russia? "The 'Church of Scientology' founded by R.Hubbard is considered as one of the most aggressive totalitarian sects."10 It revoked Scientology's license to operate in Moscow.11 Italy? Bad news there too. In 1986 Treasury and paramilitary police conducted raids in 20 cities across Italy shutting down 27 Scientology centers and seizing 100,000 documents. Italian Scientologists have been sentenced to jail.12 Australia? At one time, Scientology was banned there too. The "Anderson Report"13 gives the details why. The UK banned Scientologists from entering England to study at Scientology St. Hill. The United Kingdom's Enquiry into the Practice and Effects of Scientology ("The Foster Report") will give insight as to why.14 The New Zealand government conducted an inquiry into Scientology called "the Dumbleton-Powles Report."15 Ontario, Canada investigated Scientology in "the Lee Report,"16 and South Africa's Report of the Commission of Enquiry into Scientology ("The Kotz� Report")17 basically tell the same story as the other reports. Germany, as well as Belgium, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, Israel and Mexico, remain unconvinced that Scientology is a religion.18 Numerous other countries are not happy with Scientology either:
Well, what about the Netherlands? Don't ask. Scientology launched an assault on free speech when it raided internet service provider XS4ALL. Dutch netizens were outraged and over 100 sites hosted copies of the Scientology v. Fishman papers (scriptures Scientology was trying to keep secret). Scientology retaliated to the "cyber civil disobedience" by suing famous Dutch writer Karin Spaink and four Dutch internet service providers. It was war. Karin brought Steve Fishman in to testify and at the last minute Scientology dropped the charges.21 Okay, you say. How about Austria? No, sorry. It hasn't made it to the forefront of Austrian society either.22 In fact, Scientology has literally made itself unwelcome in every country of western Europe. But what about the U.S.? While the U.S. is one of the few countries that has granted Scientology religious status (under questionable circumstances as will be shown below), there has been major litigation involving Scientology. In United States v. Mary Sue Hubbard, et al.,23 nine Scientologists, including the wife of L. Ron Hubbard, went to jail.
California and Florida are the two states with the most Scientology- related litigation. Pinellas County, Florida has spent the last five years trying to get a criminal indictment against Scientology in the Lisa McPherson death case.25 There has been a flurry of civil lawsuits back and forth between Scientology and its critics. Many litigation battles were fought in the California courts: Wollersheim, Armstrong, Fishman, and Henson, to name some of the biggest cases.26 So what parts of the world remain that Scientology could get that social recognition it craves that (1) have not already had negative experiences with Scientology (rule out all of western Europe, Canada, Mexico, Israel, New Zealand, Australia, Russia, and parts of the United States), (2) is not impoverished (such as India, Africa, South America, and much of Asia), (3) is habitable (not Greenland), (4) is not subject to a communist government (China), (5) or that the majority of the population belongs to a single religious group that would not be open to Scientology (such as the Middle East, parts of Africa and southeast Asia and Oceania)? The pickings are growing very slim. Okay, I think we can dismiss the objective of gaining societal approval. How about cinematic popularity? Battlefield Earth, the movie, was released the week before Memorial Weekend, 2000. The book it was based on was written by Scientology founder, L. Ron Hubbard, and it was Hubbard's first novel turned into a movie thanks to Hubbard devotee, John Travolta. Perhaps it was reasoned that making it to the forefront of civilized Society was too steep a gradient. Perhaps Scientology's celebrities and some science fiction appeal would draw sci fi afficionados into the fold and let Scientology circumvent the world's governments by winning the popular vote. But, alas, Battlefield Earth was a dismal flop, so bad that it was voted the worst film of the Year 2000.27 Though the film did win recognition in the "worst film" category, it did not secure that coveted place at the elusive forefront of Society. With the above background, it becomes apparent that Scientology has not made it to the forefront of "Society" in any positive fashion, and Psychiatry is still an active branch of medicine. So, it appears that Scientology has not yet succeeded in achieving the requisite objectives to usher in their utopian society. However, to be thoroughly sure we are not overlooking anything, we will examine what progress Scientology has made in the areas of war, crime and insanity in the first part of this paper. The second part of this paper will move beyond Scientology's limited vision of a negative utopia (a world without war, crime and insanity) and examine a hypothetical world where Scientology has achieved its utopian vision. Part I A World Without War Let's begin by examining Scientology's progress in eliminating war from the world. Dianetics, The Modern Science of Mental Health28 was originally published in May of 1950. It is considered such a milestone by Scientologists, considered the beginning of a New Civilization for man, that Scientology bases its calendar on that date. The Year 2000 is considered A.D. 50, with A.D. standing for "After Dianetics." Since A.D. 1, we have witnessed major wars such as the Korean War (1950-1953) and the Viet Nam War (1945-1975). This is in addition to the numerous Arab-Israeli conflicts (the 1967 Six-Day War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War come to mind), the on-going Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, the India-Pakistan War (1971), the Bangladesh Liberation War (1971), the Falkland Islands War (1980s), the Afghan War (1979-1989), the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), the Cold War (1945-1991), the Persian Gulf War (1990-1991), the Somalian Civil War (1991-1993), and the Bosnian War (1990's). These are just the major ones. Civil uprisings, political coups, social unrest, religious turmoil, ethnic cleansings, terrorism and such have filled in the gaps in between. On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell, marking the beginning of the end of the Cold War. Amazingly, Scientology took full credit for this event. This author was at the Scientology quarterly sales event where Scientology management audaciously announced that the Berlin Wall fell solely because the Scientology ship, Freewinds, whose maiden voyage was June 6, 1988, was delivering OT 8 (the highest level of Scientology spiritual technology) and that "real" OTs were finally coming off the production line. The actual mechanics of this accomplishment were unclear. Did it mean that "real OTs" were capable of infusing the environment with so much "theta" (good) that communism just melted in its face, or did it mean that OTs were rolling up their sleeves and "handling the environment" and the wall just came tumbling down? Time passed and the question arose: If, in fact, the Scientology spiritual technology known as "OT Levels" was capable of bringing about an event of this magnitude, why hadn't peace broken out all around the planet? The same question could be asked about "clearing" the planet. If "clearing the planet" (meaning the majority of the world's population is "cleared" of the reactive mind,29 as posited by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology, in his unvalidated work, Dianetics, The Modern Science of Mental Health) will result in the eradication of war, crime and insanity, then why hasn't it? Whether we speak of an internal evolution (by the eradication of every individual's reactive mind) or an external evolution (the environment being controlled by OT's through the use of superhuman powers), the absence of results is the same. The problem is that the achievement of Scientology's utopia is impeded by major complications. First, the state of Clear has to exist. There is no evidence that it does. However, there is growing evidence indicating otherwise. The personal experience of this author proved to me that the state of Clear does not exist. After being adjudicated as having attained the state of Clear by Scientology's American St. Hill Organization (ASHO) in 1979, I noticed over time that there were numerous conditions that should not have continued after becoming "Clear," as described in Dianetics.30 For instance, I began wearing glasses at age 14 and my eyesight never improved in the least with Dianetics or Scientology "spiritual" healing technology. In 1982, three years after first attesting to the state of Clear, I was found to be slightly color blind to pink and gray colors. Another example was my health. It had always been problematic and, during my years in Scientology, it went through the worst period it had ever been through.31 Further, the entirety of my life experiences have never been available for recall. In fact, most of my elementary school years experiences (and earlier) have never returned to memory. And, finally, I do not have full perceptions in my imagination, most notable is the lack of sound. Some of my real-world perceptions are imperfect, such as my sense of smell and my hearing. This author's status of "Clear" was reversed upon my own origination because I just wasn't convinced that I had achieved the state of Clear. After more auditing, Scientology re-adjudicated my status and reaffirmed that I was, in fact, Clear. Time passed. I still was not convinced. But if I had argued, I would have been forced to start back at the beginning of the Scientology Bridge(tm) (which meant buying the auditing all over again). I knew several people who were "Clear" or above that did not manifest "Clear" characteristics either. Even people who were determined to have achieved the state of Clear by L. Ron Hubbard himself manifested immediate problems.32 Consequently, a cloud of doubt hovers over the entire concept of "Clear." When the definer of a condition is unable to correctly determine if someone has achieved the condition or not, then who can? Another problem is that the "science" of Dianetics has never been validated. Hubbard apparently refused scientists the opportunity to test his theories and corroborate his findings. There are only two known papers in existence. One is Dianetic Therapy: An Experimental Evaluation by Jay Harvey Fischer33 done in 1953, and An Experimental Investigation of Hubbard's Engram Hypothesis (Dianetics) by Jack Fox, Alvin E. Davis, and B Lebovits34 conducted in 1959. Neither experiment validated Hubbard's theories. Perhaps this is why Hubbard decided against allowing anyone else to test his theories. Further, there are a number of articles on-line from the 1950's pertaining to Dianetics which show that Hubbard's contemporaries did not think much of it.35 The problem is further compounded when incidents arise such as the case of Lisa McPherson. In 1995, she had recently attested to the state of Clear at Scientology's "Mecca of Technical Perfection," the Flag Land Base, where "Tech" is supposed to be 100%, a gold standard reflected in the amount of gold one must part with to buy Flag services. Not long after this, she was involved in a minor car accident. She exhibited mental problems and Scientology staff refused to allow her to undergo mental observation or treatment. They took her back to Flag, where she died 17 days later.36 The second impediment is that the majority of the population would have to be "cleared," but that presupposes several things: (1) that the majority of the population has the money it takes to become Clear (because Scientology services are not free), (2) the population's religious beliefs do not conflict with Scientology's beliefs and practices, and (3) that the population wants to be cleared. According to the United Nations 1997 Report on the World Social Situation,37 poverty exists in all countries, it is a massive problem, and it is very difficult to establish an exact figure because of its complex multidimensionality. In other words, poverty is a BIG problem. Global Issues states that "half the world -- nearly three billion people -- live on less than two dollars a day."38 This figure does not account for those who live on, say, $2.50 per day, or $3 per day. How about those who just barely make ends meet? Thus, it is highly probable that much more than "half the world" exists at or below the poverty level. The current world population is estimated at having passed the six billion mark.39 So, more than three billion people have a difficult, if not impossible, time just meeting their basic necessities. But for the purpose of this paper, we will use the figure of three billion people. How will Scientology "clear" this many unsessionable40 people? Even if Scientology has the eight million members it claims,41 its full membership is only .001 (one/one-thousandth) of the world's poverty- stricken population. And only a percentage of that eight million are trained Scientology counselors. According to Heber Jentzsch, President of the Church of Scientology:
(As quoted on Fastest Growing Religion, on-line at http://village.vossnet.co.uk/h/hpttrsn/stolgy_3.htm.)42 First, that is an average of 5.61 staff per org or mission, which is less than a skeleton staff. The figure of 13,000 staff members includes not only those trained to deliver Scientology counseling, but those in administrative positions as well. Using the org where this author undertook Scientology training as an index, there were generally about 20-25 staff at any given time. Most were part-time. Of those 20-25 staff, approximately two were full- time counselors, and another six to eight had counselor training, but were on administrative posts. So, if all hands were mustered to deliver counseling services, as much as 40% of the 13,000 staff (or 5,200 staff) would initially be available to "clear" three billion people. That equates to 576,923 persons per counselor. However, the staff and membership census mentioned above is apparently overinflated because as of September 13, 2000, Scientology's membership has been estimated at approximately 750,000.43 And Scientology confirmed it in the Lopez case.44 However, another opinion exists:
I am not, obviously, the only person who has recognized this problem. Back when there were only five billion souls on planet earth, David Alexander was thinking about this problem too and ran the numbers:
There is, however, another way of determining Scientology membership and that is to compare the number of people expelled. Hubbard claimed that 2.5% of the population is suppressive and 10% is psychotic. According to the Scientology Enemies List,47 in 1992 there were approximately 2,500 people who had been declared suppressive persons and expelled from the church. There were also 400-500 organizations that were declared suppressive. Not knowing if these two groups overlap, or how many people exist within each organization, we will only use the number of individuals declared suppressive. This number will be lower than what it probably is, since more people have been declared in the past 8 years. So, based on these assumptions, If Scientology has 100,000 active adherents, then it has expelled 3% of its membership. If Scientology membership is 50,000, then it has expelled 5%. Both of these percentages are in excess of the 2.5% that Hubbard claimed are "suppressive." And, if the suppressive groups were added, this number would be higher. So what does this mean? Does Scientology attract more "suppressive" type people? Or is it expelling people who are not truly suppressive? |
Further, a number of the people declared had achieved the state of Clear or above when they were declared, which raises the interesting question of how one could still be suppressive after being cleared? Suppressive body thetans?48 Hubbard had trouble recognizing his own creation and the suppressive person technology (which virtually all Scientologists end up being subjected to) cannot correctly identify a suppressive person. So there are obviously some technical difficulties with the "tech." Another impediment to clearing the planet is illiteracy. To benefit from Scientology, one must be literate. Global Issues states that nearly a billion people will enter the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.49 Again, the numbers are against Scientology staff rolling up their sleeves and bringing one billion people up to sufficient literacy whereby they could "benefit" from Scientology services. Now, consider those that belong to other religions that would prohibit their adherents from participating in a foreign "religious philosophy." Islam, for example is the second largest religion in the world with 1.3 billion adherents. At a level of 1.3 billion, they represent about 22% of the world's population. They are the second largest religion in the world; Christianity has 33%.50 These two religions alone account for half of the world's population. Should that matter to Scientology? New recruits are told that they can practice their religion and Scientology at the same time. Scientology's introductory publication states:
Now, reconcile those statements with this statement given to all Scientologists, whether taking courses, receiving counseling, or laboring under the jurisdiction of the Ethics Officer:
Once inside the fold, the contradictions begin. This tactic is known in the business world as "bait and switch." However, no Christian knowing Scientology's viewpoint on God and Christ, nor any Jew with respect to Scientology's viewpoint on God, would agree with those statements. Hubbard reveals to his adherents on the OT levels that God is an implant and Christ (who didn't exist) was a pedophile and that Hubbard is the anti-christ.53
Islam also reveres Christ as a prophet and believes in one God (Allah). So profaning Christianity in this manner profanes Islam. Hubbard further blasphemed the Islamic faith by saying: Salman Rushdie, the author of the Satanic Verses, was sanctioned by the Ayatollah of Iran who put a bounty of $5 million on Mr. Rushdie's life for criticizing Islam. It just does not appear that Scientology is compatible with Christianity, Judaism or Islam. Considering that (1) it took 16 years before Scientology announced its first Clear (who failed her public test, then was succeeded by "first" Clear #2 who became unclear when she divorced Hubbard, who was then succeeded by "first" Clear #3, who quit Scientology three years later), (2) at least half of the world's population will never be able to afford to buy its way to Clear, and (3) that Scientology has offended at least half of the world's population with its blasphemous remarks concerning their respective religions, the only thing that is "clear" is that Scientology's goal of a world without war, crime and insanity will never become a reality. Unless they launch a hostile takeover, which possibility will be examined below. Somewhere along the line, someone must have figured it out because the mechanism of achieving the goal of a world without war, crime and insanity shifted from making individual Clears to making a relatively smaller number of Operating Thetans. A handful of OT's, it was claimed, would be able to do what a planet full of Clears could not. After all, OT's are spiritual beings who have had their dormant god- like abilities rehabilitated. In 1990, with a two-year head start in producing "real" OT's, the world witnessed the Persian Gulf War resulting from Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait. Where were the OT's then? Where are they now? Why don't the "real" OT's put an end to the Mideast conflict? Where were the OTs when the Gulf War and the Bosnian War broke out? Why haven't the OT's, with finality, ended the Mideast crisis? Perhaps OT powers were held in check because Hubbard advised:
Or perhaps it was a way to conveniently cover-up for the lack of evidence of OT powers. Since Hubbard wrote A History of Man in 1968, more than "a few of the boys" have made it across Scientology's "Bridge to Total Freedom." So why does Scientology restrain its spiritual warriors from resolving planetary problems? The only obvious answer is that "Clears" and "OT's" do not exist. The lack of any discernible results coupled with the dubious efficacy of Scientology's "clearing technology" and "OT technology" makes it no small wonder that War has not been eradicated from planet earth. Perhaps Scientology realizes the only way it can survive is to hide while the planet "melts down" and then mold the malleable left-overs in its image? Before it resorts to that, however, the world may yet be spared because Hubbard mentioned an alternative to making a world of clears: "It is not necessary to produce a world of clears in order to to have a reasonable and worthwhile social order; it is only necessary to delete those individuals who range from 2.0 down, either by processing them enough to get their tone level above the 2.0 line...or simply quarantining them from the society."56 So, if Plan #1 to "clear the planet" does not work, Plan #2 is to "delete those individuals" who are lower on Hubbard's scale of emotional tone levels. And if that does not work, what is Plan 3? We'll look at that later in this paper. However, to date, an effective lie has been a good cover-up. A good example of its efforts to conceal the lack of superhuman abilities is seen in Scientology's lie regarding the fall of the Berlin Wall that was mentioned above. The fabricated "win" was given to members to keep them motivated and paying for more Scientology services. The real story behind the fall of communism is due to multiple factors including, but not limited to, the substantial influence of Pope John Paul II; reformed Christian ministers; and the aging of the communist rulers. Pope John Paul II, a Polish national, was the first Pope who visited communist countries while in office. If any one factor could be attributed to the downfall of communism that began with the freeing of Eastern Europe, it was Pope John Paul II's efforts to promote peace within communist countries.57 This was during a time when Scientology could not even gain entrance to those countries. Now, let's look at a different kind of warfare.58 Though not a military war in the traditional sense, Scientology pours its share of fuel on the fire that consumes planetary peace by engaging in all-out war with its various "enemies." For example, let's look at Scientology's abusive tactics with governments and the judiciary, as well as its "noisy" investigations of its critics. A peace-consuming fire set by Scientology is fueled by its dispute with Germany.59 Scientology's program to gain entrance into Germany by accusing the German government of Nazi-like behavior does not forward a peace agenda. Germany correctly views Scientology as a money-making enterprise rather than a religion and is doing its job to protect its citizens by disallowing Scientology activities within its borders. Scientology will not accept no for an answer. It tried to bully the German government into submission. The Scientology ploy was to align its fabricated "plight" with the Holocaust. The comparison is tenuous at best and only designed to manipulate a human rights-oriented world into putting heat on the German government. An ironic maneuver, considering Scientology's utter disregard for human rights includes its very own concentration camps (the "Rehabilitation Project Force or "RPF"60), its equivalent to book burning (attempting to squelch free speech on the Internet61), and its planned Holocaust62 (should it ever take over the planet). Germany, more than any other country, is experientially aware of the characteristics of totalitarianism. Considering that Scientology has the characteristics of a totalitarian organization,63 Germany would not be exercising reasonable caution if it openly embraced Scientology, considering Germany's troubled past.
Germany is trying to protect its citizens from yet another danger trying to infiltrate Germany, much like Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party did in the 1930's and 1940's. Another example of the care Germany is taking is:
There are also watchdog organizations such as the U.S. Department of State and the United Nations. For instance, the U.S. Department of State's Report on Germany's Human Rights Practices for 1996 indicated that,
Admittedly, there are problem areas in Germany, but every country has them. But Germany is at more of a disadvantage than most because it is still undergoing the unification process between east and west, and overcoming the residuals of communism. There are wrinkles left to be ironed out. Despite those wrinkles, a more recent report states that:
If Scientology were respected in other countries, their cry of Persecution! would be credible. But Scientology's reputation in other countries precludes any credibility of its claims. More likely is that the cry of "unfair business practices," "suppression of profits," and "loss of control over people's minds" just doesn't fan the flames of concern as does the cry of Persecution! and assertion of violations of human rights and religious freedom. However, many countries outside of western Europe are becoming wise to Scientology's various deceptions.
The religion angle is Scientology's "leverage." Leverage that would satisfy even Terl, the Psychlo, who obsessed about getting enough of it in L. Ron Hubbard's novel Battlefield Earth. Leverage is a concept Hubbard understood well. To those familiar with Scientology tactics, Scientology's cry of Persecution! is nothing more than a well-acted response to a well- worn69 script. It is a modern-day example of the boy who cried wolf. If there ever comes a time that Scientology cries wolf in good faith, it is not likely anyone will be listening anymore. In fact, Scientology tactics are similar to the liberal politics that played out after the recent presidential election: grabbing at straws, looking for loopholes, intimidating, harassing, until the loser gains the advantage. And if that fails, the loser runs off to court to intimidate, with expensive attorneys, and harasses the judiciary into declaring it the winner. Scientology would have had an easier time deceiving the world if it had been easily recognized as a religion, but its actions spoke louder than words. It's too late now, the cat's out of the bag. Scientology's bellicose behavior is easily contrasted with the behavior of traditional religions. For instance, compare Scientology's behavior in Germany to Pope John Paul II. A government says no to a totalitarian organization masquerading as a religion and the counterfeit religion retaliates with cries of Religious Persecution! and starts a campaign of harassment against the government. Now, contrast that behavior with the Pope's behavior after he was the target of an assassination attempt in 1981. John Paul II showed great mercy for his attempted assassin by granting him a private visit in prison in order to demonstrate his forgiveness. False religion retaliates. Real religion forgives. Pope John Paul II is only one example. Other notable persons include Mother Teresa; Reverends Niemoeller and Bonhoeffer, Lutheran ministers who went to the Nazi concentration camps; Corrie ten Boom and her family, who risked their lives to save the lives of victims of Nazi persecution, and coutless others whose names we will never know. These people lived their religion. Unfortunately, so does Scientology, and people can discern the vast differences. How can a "religion" of war and hate bring peace to earth? It's like trying to extinguish fire with gasoline. Not only can it not be done, it inflames an already bad situation. Moving on, let's look at another litigious war launched by Scientology, this time against the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. The Wall Street Journal reported that:
It is further reported that Scientology used, among other tactics, private investigators to pressure and harass certain IRS employees, including the Commissioner, until the IRS capitulated.71 Thus, Scientology gained benefits by illegally coercing the IRS, benefits not available to any other citizen or religion in the United States. Tax analysts across the United State were outraged at this preferential treatment. Non-Scientology citizens tried to take advantage of the same benefits and were denied. See, for instance, Sklar v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, U.S. Tax Court, No. 1556-97. Not only does Scientology enjoy benefits no other group in the United States enjoys, but Scientology considers itself above the tax laws because it continues to breach its agreement with the IRS. Part of its tax exempt application, the basis on which it was granted tax exemption, indicated that it would refund monies to dissatisfied "parishioners" if requested. This author was not alone in having her refund request ignored, yet Scientology still enjoys tax exempt status. Why does the IRS allow Scientology to breach its tax exemption application? A former IRS commissioner admits that it was a mistake to grant Scientology tax exemption. By Scientology breaching its obligations pursuant to its tax exemption application, the IRS has grounds to revoke Scientology's tax exemption. Yet it doesn't. Is there a dark secret that Scientology is holding over the head of the IRS that keeps it submissive to Scientology? There has to be. There is no other explanation for an agency such as the IRS to turn a blind eye to Scientology's refusal to honor its own agreement. Apparently, some form of psycho-terrorism was also employed in the coercion of the IRS. It has been reported that:
In a Forbes article entitled Mysterious Ways, by Brigid McMenamin, it is noted that: "The [secret closing] agreement made the group tax- exempt and allowed its members to deduct fees not just for auditing, but also for such religious courses as "Success Through Communication" and "The Anatomy of the Human Mind." Former IRS commissioner Donald C. Alexander is quoted in that article as saying: "The IRS realizes that giving in to Scientology was a mistake, and they don't want to extend that mistake. The result is most taxpayers are unfairly treated."73 What kind of pressure did Scientology bring to bear on a feared and hated agency such as the Internal Revenue Service to get such special dispensation? And how is it maintaining its control over the IRS? The IRS's 1993 secret agreement with Scientology is contrary to existing case law. In 1989, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the IRS's 1978 refusal to allow deductions for auditing and Scientology courses.74 In that decision, the Supreme Court even commented that if those kinds of deductions were allowed, it could open the door for taxpayers to claim deductions for parochial schools. However, since 1993, the IRS has allowed members of the Church of Scientology to deduct the "fixed donations" they pay for religious education and auditing, Scientology's mental and spiritual counseling. If this isn't quid pro quo, then what is? Further, because of this preferential treatment, knowledgeable citizens are concerned that their private information is now in the hands of Scientologists, similar to the results of Scientology's war against Cult Awareness Network. That war ended in CAN's bankruptcy after many Scientologist-initiated lawsuits were filed. (Sound familiar?) Then a Scientologist bought CAN's assets, including mailing lists, and Scientology, an organization labeled "a most dangerous cult,"75 now deceptively operates Cult Awareness Network. It's like putting the wolf in charge of the sheep. The wolf puts on grandma's nightgown and gives out information on all the "big bad wolves" to all the innocent little girls and sheep. This raises the troubling question: Does Scientology have access to citizens' private records?76 How can citizens ever be sure what is going on since the IRS has obviously been compromised by the Church of Scientology? David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of the Religious Technology Center of the Church of Scientology, said he one day decided to handle the IRS and just walked into the IRS office in D.C. on a whim, demanded and was granted an audience with the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, and just "handled" the entire matter.77 An incongruous story when juxtaposed with the facts. Tragically, Scientology adherents rarely ever learn the facts. This author benefited from Scientology's illegal agreement, as did many other Scientologists who were being audited by the IRS at the time, but had no clue as to what really happened to cause the IRS to capitulate. One final note, Miscavige called the agreement a peace treaty that would mark the biggest expansion in Scientology history.78 So, if that was the case, it would show in the statistics. "This table [following] shows completions at Flag, the main CoS training centre in Clearwater,Florida. 'Clear' is the first major stage that members strive to reach, 'OT' and 'Ls' are later stages that include the secret scriptures. Only Flag offers levels beyond Clear, so the last two columns are effectively world-wide figures. Data from 'Source' magazine, compiled by 'Curiosus'.79
These numbers clearly show that the "biggest expansion in Scientology" history did not ocur. In fact, it appears that the reverse occurred and the statistics nosedived. Though only three stats are listed, if other stats were up, those stats would be reflected in the Clear, OT6 and L's stats being up. Overall, the statistics are very depressed. Note, though, the statement above that "only Flag offers services beyond Clear" is misinformed. Advanced Orgs also offer OT levels. So, the only "worldwide" stat is the "L's", which is only offered at Flag. However, lower orgs are under mandate to "flow" public to Flag, so these stats show that lower orgs are not "flowing" public to Flag, presumably because they aren't getting the public in. Another factor to consider is that the above services were not necessarily paid for in those years. Many people put "money on account" by making "advance payments" over time and then finally starting the service. Any number of people could have already been on the service, routed off for whatever reasons, then returned at a later time to finish the service. So completions do not necessarily equal income. The gross income stat could be bottomed out and still show completions coming off the production lines. The preceding examples of harassment and litigation are just some of the more notorious tactics Scientology has employed, not even the tip of the iceberg. How does Scientology reasonably expect it will ever achieve a world without war when it carries on business as a war-monger? How can it expect to achieve peace when it can't "turn the other cheek"?80 How can it expect its members not to reflect its own warring attitudes? Its activities, its policies and its attitudes are molding its members. It is the standard its adherents are striving to obtain via the brainwashing tactics and coercion. A war does not only take place when people are wounded or killed. War does not only occur when buildings lie in ruins and ashes. Whoever vanquishes the innermost personality of a human being is also leading a war.81 |
A World Without Crime There is no discernible evidence that Scientology has impacted crime in any positive measure. I noticed all the years I was in Scientology how the Hollywood area continued to decline, despite the presence of the Scientology Complex, the Scientology Celebrity Center, and the Management Building. Despite any positive impact on crime, Scientology is not neutral in this area. It contributes to this social problem by, among other things, manipulating the judiciary, attempting to abridge freedom of speech, pressuring its "parishioners" to obtain more money to buy Scientology services, espionage, and inducing desperation in the lives of poverty-stricken Scientology staff and their families. Manipulating the Judiciary Courts have become Scientology's weapon of choice, not just in conquering its critics, but in "utterly destroying" them. It vanquishes dissent by putting critic heads on pikes. For instance, why does Scientology spend millions of dollars in their dispute with Keith Henson, when it was only awarded $75,000 in the copyright infringement case against Mr. Henson? The answer is: to utterly destroy him. Being recompensed for any monetary damage is not Scientology's game; utter destruction of its critics is the game.82 Why spend three times the amount gained to prevent $300,000 from being discharged in bankruptcy court? This happened to attorney Graham Berry:
Again, citizens should be concerned. Those of us who are aware of Scientology's tactics are very concerned. It is the taxpayers who are subsidizing these court battles and Scientology is getting a disproportionate benefit. Institutions, such as the judiciary, do not exist to solely serve the interests of a single group. Scientology's legal aggression is so well-known that it is amazing that it has not been declared a vexatious litigant. The reason why is its intimidation of the judiciary. (For an example, see Appendix 1.) Attacking Freedom of Speech Also criminal is Scientology's attempts at squelching freedom of speech. What newspaper or magazine or book publisher is willing to publish anything against Scientology, given its well-known reputation of bringing vicious lawsuits against organizations that dare to give it "bad press"?84 Further, Scientology continuously attacks critics on the Internet and tries to manipulate the laws to rid itself of its Internet critics. When that fails, it spams newsgroups and message boards with meaningless garbage to "drown" out its critics voices, and puts 15,000 identical websites with members' carefully controlled commentaries.85 This is censorship by overwhelm and intimidation. Censorship by any means is contrary to the free flow of ideas and a democratic society. Why does this church engage in censorship? Winston Churchill eloquently explained it: "You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police. Yet in their hearts is unspoken - unspeakable! - fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts! Words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home, all the more powerful because they are forbidden. These terrify them. A little mouse - a little tiny mouse! - of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic."86 It is fear of being found out. Fear of losing their power and control when the truth becomes known. Truth is a most powerful weapon against tyranny. Make Money, Make More Money87 On another front, Scientology is the behind-the-scenes manipulator that pushes members into unwise financial decisions that too often end in bankruptcy. Scientology reaps the enormous benefits of monies procured by its members' credit and if a member cannot repay, why should it concern Scientology? It has no responsibility for repayment. This is analogous to a corporation coercing its staff to rob banks. True, it is not violent, but the results are the same: the money is stolen and Scientology benefits from the theft. If its members cannot pay the money back, its not a problem to them--they get the money without the responsibility. Members taking on more debt than they can handle is not unethical in the world of Scientology ethics. If it helps Scientology, then it is deemed to be "pro-survival" or ethical. Ironically, one of Scientology's grievances against the German government is that, allegedly, Scientologists are being prevented from getting loans.88 Why should a religion cry persecution! over their members not being able to get loans, except they have a vested interest? Scientologists are pushed into enormous debts in their pursuit of spiritual power and freedom, and many have been forced into bankruptcy when they were unable to repay the onerous debt. Though the bankruptcy laws allow relief from debt for hardship reasons, the question is why should it be deemed a hardship if a Scientology member took out too many loans for Scientology services because of Scientology brainwashing or coercion? A change in the bankruptcy laws disallowing discharge of any loans or credit card charges for Scientology services is worth considering. Related to this situation is Scientology's policy regarding Third Party Investigations. The underlying premise is this: if two people are at odds with each other, search for the "third party" who is quietly, behind-the-scenes, creating the conflict between the two people. Scientology, unseen to the credit companies and bankruptcy court, pits their hapless members against financial institutions to obtain funds to buy their spiritual freedom through Scientology services.89 Among other ways Scientology acts as a third party is by being a "third party" beneficiary of loan monies that cannot be repaid. Nor can they be legally collected from the third party beneficiary. Paradoxically, Scientology sells tapes by L. Ron Hubbard, which is claimed to contain all the wisdom necessary to manage one's finances successfully. If this data is so powerful, why do so many Scientologists go bankrupt? This author was trained in financial management as a Treasury Secertary and Board Finance Officer, and her ex-spouse was highly trained in Scientology administrative technology (he completed the Flag Executive Briefing Course). Yet, our finances were in such a state that bankruptcy was the only solution to the overwhelming debt problem. Societally, perhaps there should be sanctions against organizations that negligently encourage their members into debt. This could have a chilling effect on the power Scientology holds over its members. On another financial front, there is the disproportionate number of Scientologist-owned businesses that keep running into financial trouble, such as: ATG,90 Digital Lightwave91, TradeNet's blue laundry balls scam92 (which used ATG's fraudulent IE crystals), Sterling Management, Precision Management, and other "World Institute of Scientology Enterprises (WISE) businesses,93 to name a few. Many of these business owners are Clear and OT, but you wouldn't know it from the low level of ethics displayed. Speaking of low ethics levels, the story of veterinarian Dr. Steve Archinal is a strange one. Not only ethics, but mental competency issues are raised in this disturbing story.94 Espionage Another crime Scientology engages in is espionage. Greece raided the Scientology Center in Athens (KEPHE) and discovered documents that raised the specter of espionage.95 Further, a top secret military map was discovered in KEPHE's possession.96 "This document is a map of the Hellinikon Airforce Base in Athens. It was seized during the 1995 Prosecutor raids in Scientology's KEFE center (now dissolved). Scientology somehow got this TOP SECRET map, which was describing sensitive Airforce installations. Obviously a case of espionage.97 In 1982, Mary Sue Hubbard and nine others were sent to federal prison for the largest domestic spying case in American history98 called "Operation Snow White."99 In 1992, Canada found Scientology guilty of espionage.100 Years earlier, Scientology launched "Operation Freakout," against Paulette Cooper because of her critical book, The Scandal of Scientology.101 And what about the strange tale of "Jon Spears"? Was it espionage? What did he have to do with Scientology and MUFON (Mutual UFO Network) and the FBI?102 And, interestingly, he died from injuries sustained in an automobile accident, an embolism in the leg. Like Lisa McPherson. Scientologists were also caught spying at the American Medical Association.103 In Clearwater, Attorney Merrell Vannier was an undercover agent for Scientology.104 The Vannier link (Occupied Clearwater) also includes exposure of other covert operations in Clearwater, Florida, the home of Scientology's "Flag Land Base." An explanation of Scientology's espionage policies are available in Scientology Infiltrates Society.105 Various other crimes are documented at Scientology Crimes, Is Scientology Breaking the Law?, Hard to Sort Through Financial Schemes, Hubbard 'Hot Author' Status Exposed as Illusion.105 There has been some mention of Scientology even engaging in gun running. Retired Captain Scott Mayer recounts his experience with a staff member who had a psychotic break fearing she would be murdered "as a result of the efforts she and I put forth to expose an OSA covert gun-running operation in the State of Washington."107 Crime From Church-Induced Desperation Let us now examine a different kind of crime, one that lies within the realm of labor laws and minimum pay. Some Scientology lower org staff members are forced into crime because staff pay is grossly below minimum wage. (Staff of the Sea Organization get food and berthing, so they are able to survive better than lower org personnel.) For 60+ hours per week of work, pay is frequently $20-$30 per week, at times there is no pay at all, yet staff are expected to remain on post. This pushes parents into desperation to feed and care for their children, as well as themselves. Any means available become an option, including theft. There have even been reports of some children of Sea Org parents prostituting themselves to obtain money.108 Another source of Scientology-created crimes is Scientology's intelligence division, the Office of Special Affairs (OSA). Crimes are perpetrated by Scientology's legal machine against its critics. There are numerous reports of outrageous conduct on the part of OSA operatives, private investigators hired by Scientology, and Scientology's lawyers. An FBI agent has remarked that Scientology has a world-class intelligence division.109 Who can trust a church with an intelligence division? Would you willingly participate in a confessional with the FBI, the CIA, Interpol, the Russian KGB, or Iran's SAVAK and expect forgiveness? Nearly two years ago, this author was deposed by Scientology's lawyers. What was observed validated the many reports of unethical behavior. Among other things, material alterations were made to my deposition transcript. My legal counsel was treated as discourteously and unprofessionally as possible. He was lied to regarding who was attending the deposition (an OSA agent was there and he was passed off as a member of the law firm who was conducting the deposition). How can Scientology accomplish its goal of a world without crime when it encourages financial crime by hard selling its members into borrowing more than they can legitimately afford, by not paying its staff enough to live on, by illegally abusing the legal process, by condoning criminal activity of its members as long as Scientology benefits from it, by criminal activity in trying to silence freedom of speech, and by the existence of its illegal OSA operations? A World Without Insanity Scientology has been on a decades-long crusade against psychology and psychiatry. However, its attempts have not proven fruitful, witnessed by the continued existence of these disciplines. Nor has Scientology shown the world that it possesses a more workable system of mental therapy. In the alternative, however, anecdotal reports are highly suggestive that Scientology mental therapy may be harmful. Lisa McPherson There are many reports indicative of the unworkability of Scientology mental and/or spiritual "technology."110 A significant case is the highly publicized death of Lisa McPherson, one of Scientology's members. Not long after Lisa McPherson attested to Scientology's state of Clear (where according to Scientology materials she should have been a very rational, happy, healthy, capable human being), Lisa, then only 36, was involved in a minor car accident. She got out of the car and took off her clothes in public. When paramedics arrived, she begged for help and was taken to a hospital. However, Scientology personnel came and took her back to their facility in Clearwater, Florida, insisting they would care for her. She died 17 days later, apparently from a pulmonary embolism caused by dehydration. Her body was covered in bug bites.111 The Scientology facility in Clearwater that Lisa spent her last days on earth, a virtual prisoner, is called the Flag Land Base or "Flag." Scientology promotes it as the "Mecca of Technical Perfection." If this is Scientology's apex, and its members develop mental disturbances and some of them die (and more than just McPherson have)112, then how much more quack can the practice of medicine be at the lower level organizations? Scientology would not take responsibility for her death and, instead, waged yet a vicious legal war to prevent the truth from being discovered, including apparently forcing the coroner to change her diagnosis so Scientology could avoid liability.113 When that occurred, the case had to be dropped. However, the civil case brought against Scientology by Lisa's family continues.114 After sifting through all the confusion, what is apparent is that Ms. McPherson was suffering from a mental disorder. Did the Scientology "spiritual technology" cause this disorder or did it just exacerbate an underlying existing disorder? It is not known, but a growing number of reports exist that are highly suggestive that Scientology's unvalidated mental and spiritual technology may, in fact, be exacerbating (if not creating) mental problems in at least some of its members. One theory exists which suggests that the e-meter used in Scientology auditing may be giving low-level electrical shocks to those undergoing its counseling treatments.115 The FDA, though it has forced Scientology to label its e-meters as spiritual devices that cannot cure illness, needs to pick up the ball it fumbled and take it all the way by putting the Hubbard e-meter through studies to determine if long-term use is detrimental to human health. Turning now to the issue of practicality, what plan does Scientology have to assume responsibility for existing patients should it successfully put psychology and psychiatry out of business? The answer is none. Today, if Scientology intention were to prevail, there would be no safety net for those needing mental health services. If the percentage of insane people is really 15%, as Hubbard has suggested, then there will be a tremendous problem if there is no safety net. Rather than assume responsibility and burden, Scientology will simply utilize Hubbard's expedient remedy: "Those below 2.0 on [Hubbard's] emotional tone scale should be done away with, quietly and without sorrow."116 This suggests that euthanasia will be utilized. Even if Scientology didn't proclaim it does not help the unable117, it simply does not have the resources to handle the world's mentally ill. Thus, the world would be in far worse shape with a Scientology takeover. The eradication of psychology and psychiatry would result in a sharp increase in war, crime and insanity due to the elimination of currently existing safeguards unless Scientology's plan of euthanasia were to be quickly put into place. If you take Valium or Zoloft or Prozac, you will be on the proscription list. If Scientology actually had a workable mental health technology, the logical approach would be to demonstrate its workability to the mental health profession and integrate its mental techniques into the existing network. The obvious reason why this will never happen is the fact that Scientology would lose its monopoly hold over its lucrative, albeit dangerous, mental therapy system.
In fact, the whole reason behind Scientology's intent to eradicate psychology and psychiatry is to gain a monopoly hold over the mental health field. Control man's mind and you control man. What better way to gain absolute power? However, business law is not the only kind of law out there. There is also anti-trust law. Unless of course, at that time, orgs say what is legal. If L. Ron Hubbard is man's best friend, as Scientology likes to portray him, then wouldn't you think the motivating factor to reform the mental health profession would be man's benefit, not money and power? Scientology is as quick to cry Abuse! at the mental health profession as it is to cry Persecution! at the German government, yet abuses its own members (for example, the RPF and Lisa McPherson) and persecutes its critics (for example, litigation and harassment). Apparently, abuse and persecution must be daily sacraments in the Scientology religion. Seriously though, the compulsion to abuse and persecute in individuals is a sign of mental illness. Can organizations suffer from mental illness? This author thinks so. A sign of psychosis, according to Hubbard, is lack of memory. The example given by Mr. Hubbard was a telephone-he claimed that since it doesn't have any memory it is therefore psychotic.119 This definition, more appropriately of course, applies to human beings, not inanimate objects. Alzheimer's patients and those with certain traumatic brain injuries demonstrate that lack of memory is definitely a serious mental condition. But what about organizational memory? When an organization is compelled to obsessively revise its own history, it creates an organizational psychosis. One example is Hubbard's fictitious biography.120 Most of the claims have been disproven, yet it continues to be promulgated. L. Ron Hubbard, Jr., son of Scientology's founder, said: "I would say that 99 per cent of what my father has written about his own life is false." Another example is a digital picture of a recent Scientology event that was made public wherein it was discovered that the audience was digitally manipulated by cutting and pasting people to fill empty seats. Why? To give the illusion to members and the world that Scientology events are "sell outs" and the Scientology continues to generate wildly popular appeal. Unfortunately for Scientology, the duplicates were noticed, especially the one attendee who was a headless man!121 A third example is a picture of Hubbard with some of his students in the 1960's which was reissued in recent years. Compared with an earlier version, several people have been deleted, and one balding man was given hair and a mustache!122 Presumably, the deleted and disguised people have been declared suppressive. But Scientology cannot even allow their photographic memory to exist. This and other revisionist works provide evidence that Scientology edits out its negative history. Why? Because it cannot allow itself to be perceived as being wrong, or be perceived as less than perfect. The truth would destroy its myth. All utopian societies have exhibited this characteristic flaw. History was rewritten by the Nazis, the Communists, the Ministry of Information in the fictitious negative utopian society depicted in George Orwell's "1984,"123 and most recently, Scientology. Same Repetition/Different Results There is another, widespread definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result! Every Scientologist who goes to the registrar over and over again, expecting to get his "ruin" finally handled on the next level, fits this definition. Especially, when they get up to OT 8 and still haven't gotten their ruin handled, and believe that this time, finally, there will be satisfaction. Michael Pattinson, OT 8, went up the Scientology Bridge to Total Freedom(tm) and did not find a resolution to his personal issues.124 He quit Scientology and sued. Greg and Debra Barnes discovered they were being defrauded on OT 7 and left Scientology125. Inability to Get Along With Others Another measure of insanity is the ability to get along with others. This is a major life function, as well as a measure of maturity and an indicator of mental health. Mental therapies are aware of this. And Hubbard, a devout student of Plagiarism, "borrowed" many ideas from traditional mental therapies. Hubbard states that, "If an individual is incapable of adjusting himself to his environment so as to get along with or obey or command his fellows, or, more importantly, if he is incapable of adjusting his environment, then he can be considered to be "insane."126 If this statement is true for a collection of individuals acting as an organizational unit, as well as an individual, then Scientology is an "insane" organization, because it is incapable of getting along with differing viewpoints. In fact, as indicated above, it has a policy- driven compulsion to harass and "utterly destroy" its critics. One way Scientology tries to rid the world of "differing viewpoints" is by its intelligence network/legal unit called "the Office of Special Affairs" or OSA. OSA works non-stop to "adjust" the environment to make it safe for Scientologists, by any means possible, to the exclusion of the non- Scientology world. In the physical body, when cells start "adjusting" themselves to conform the environment to their own program, that is called cancer. In the Scientology organization, it is called normal. Adjusting one's environment is only part of the process. It has been said that "effective communication is central to our ability to get along with others" and "communication skills are the building blocks of good interpersonal relationships."127 If Scientology truly has a workable communication "technology," then why are its relationships so horrifically poor? Hubbard used to say128that communication is the "universal solvent." He also said that it is the cornerstone of the A-R-C triangle.129 But whether communication or understanding130 is the "universal solvent," what is the point of knowing about it and not applying it? Why doesn't Scientology communicate rather than litigate? Why doesn't it employ its "tech" to better society, rather than use it destructively? Sophistry A form of "intellectual insanity" evident within Scientology is called sophistry. It has its roots in ancient Greece. The Sophists were professional teachers for hire, usually retained by wealthy households. One of the original Sophists was Protagoras, who proclaimed that "Man is the measure of all things." This concept led to the main doctrine of the Sophists, which is that whatever appears to be the case for you is true even though to me it is false. Sound familiar? Scientology's version of this concept is "What is true for you is what you have observed yourself. And when you lose that you have lost everything."131 This philosophy infers any real or objective truth, morality, or religion is impossible. All reverence for truth, custom, and law is destroyed. We cannot prove that anything is true or good. The best rule in life is to get as much pleasure and satisfaction as you can. It is a philosophy that teaches self-centeredness. And with any teaching, it is quite difficult, if not impossible, for a person to rise above the level of his or her teaching. Therefore, you will find most Scientologists tend to be self-centered or "egocentric." The area of morals is most impacted by this philosophy. As a result, you find Scientology parents who leave their children with baby- sitters for 18 hours a day, 7 days a week, in their pursuit of spiritual freedom. Sophist teaching is that there is no truth; therefore, there is no good and evil or right and wrong. Morals are arbitrary. An example is Scientology's viewpoint of children. Hubbard opined that children are just billion-year-old spiritual beings in little bodies and, therefore, do not need to be treated as anything but adult. Therefore, children are the most victimized class within Scientology, for they cannot speak for themselves. One way Scientology children are abused is by being denied sufficient contact with parents and family. In addition, for children of Scientology staff members, the lack of money denies these children adequate food, clothing and medical care. They are also an exploited component of the Scientology workforce. Apparently, the abuse and exploitation of children within Scientology is a religious activity protected by Amendment I to the United States Bill of Rights. "Sophistry represents an unusual type of mindset which is seen to recur in times of societal transition, when old systems of thought, government, and religion have lost their authority." This appears to be the case in late 20th Century America, where Scientology is most prevalent.132 After reviewing the evidence, it is apparent that Scientology has not eliminated psychiatry in any of its forms and has not made any significant advances in creating a world without insanity, but instead, demonstrates that it suffers remarkably from that which it claims to have the cure. This is a case where the doctor needs to become the patient. Physician, Heal Thyself! If Scientology cannot even cure itself of its own insanity, it obviously does not have the tools with which to create an entire world devoid of insanity. It is a maxim that creations have the attributes of their creators. For instance, in a quote from California Superior Court Judge Breckenridge, speaking of Scientology founder, L. Ron Hubbard, in a 1984 legal decision:
When an individual person is adjudicated mentally incompetent, that person is assigned a guardian. What is done about an organization that behaves in a mentally incompetent manner? Should it not be put into receivership to keep it from harming itself and others? If no laws exist to remedy such a situation, perhaps it is because there may have never before existed an organization quite like Scientology. Critics The subject of Scientology's handling of its critics spans all three areas of war, crime and insanity. It is all-out war against its critics. Any crime against its critics is morally justified in its Fair Game Policy, which states that anyone declared by Scientology as suppressive "may be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed."134 Scientology's policy on "handling" its enemies states that the goal is not to win, but to use the courts to harass its critics and "ruin him utterly" if possible.135 Compare Scientology's Fair Game policies to another well-known cult's version of "fair game." The Moonies call it "heavenly deception" and the purpose is to take from Satan what rightfully belongs to God. The policy further states a Moonie may do most anything: lie, cheat, steal or kill.136 Satan, presumably, is anyone who is not a Moonie in good standing. Islam deals with its crtics by "fatwehs" (edicts) that establish the appropriate punishment. In his 1984, ruling in the California Superior Court, supra, Judge Breckenridge stated,
Interestingly, Scientology demonstrates most, if not all, the suppressive traits contained within its own policies against its critics and feels morally justified in doing so. However, it doesn't work in reverse. If a person demonstrates suppressive traits towards Scientology, then he or she is declared suppressive and expelled, or if never a member, is harassed into silence. This is double standards and socially unacceptable behavior. Scientology's "Fair Game" policies sanction criminal acts against its critics and are nothing more than "hate crimes." Hate crimes are currently being considered for federal jurisdiction. In other words, offenders convicted of hate crimes would be prosecuted under federal law and would serve time in a federal prison. How can a church that uses hate crime policies be considered a religious institution and be granted tax exemption? |
Scientology's Leaders Let's digress for a few moments and look at the leaders of Scientology. L. Ron Hubbard was married three times and divorced three times. During his marriage to Sara he had a mistress, kidnapped his wife and daughter, fled with his daughter to Cuba, attempted to have Sara declared insane, and denounced her to the FBI as a communist.137 With all this going on, he promoted the family as the "first Dianetics family!" "It was deeply ironic that, only a few years later, Ron should write a book (still in print) called 'How to save your marriage'." Sara divorced him on grounds of cruelty, supra, and bigamy.138 As previously mentioned, his last wife, Mary Sue, spent four years in a federal penitentiary for participating in the worse case of domestic spying in the United States. Hubbard's son, Quentin, committed suicide. Reports indicate that he may not have died from his attempt, but that someone may have finished him off at the hospital. But there are conflicting stories regarding this.139 L. Ron Hubbard's son, L. Ron Hubbard, Jr., was disowned by his father.140 L. Ron Hubbard's daughter, Diana, was in bad shape at one point in her life and perhaps had a psychotic break.141 Hubbard himself died under suspicious circumstances.142 David Miscavige was essentially raised as a prot�g� by L. Ron Hubbard. David's twin sister, OT7, committed suicide.143 Another sister left the church and became a prostitute after starting the OT levels.144 His father, Ron Miscavige (also Scientology executive) was involved in a rape scandal. David used church resources to "handle" the situation.145 David's mother-in-law, Flo Barnett, allegedly "committed suicide," firing three rifle shots into her abdomen and then a pistol shot to her head.146 All of the above is also cited in an on-line report entitled David Miscavige and His Family.147 In the Christian religion, and probably others as well, a man is not qualified to rule in the church if his family life is not under control. Rulers set the standard. They are the role models. Scientologists are being ruled by men who cannot even control their own lives. Plan #3 Is there a third plan if Plans #1 and #2 fail? This author is unaware of any that Hubbard may have authored. However, it is apparent that today that Scientology materials have more than Hubbard for the author.148 Plan #3 is purely this author's speculation. The reason for the speculation has to do with, among other things, Scientology's vaults.149 Designed to withstand anything from a natural disaster to a nuclear attack, the vaults have been constructed in San Bernardino, California (east of Los Angeles); Petrolia (Humboldt County), California; and Trementina, New Mexico (30 miles east of Las Vegas, Nevada). More are planned. If pushed into a corner, Scientology's top management is well outfitted to make a stand. What couldn't be hid in these vaults, among the purported LRH materials? Taking this theory one step further, what if Scientology decided the only way to "take the planet" was to "delete" all non-Scientology- sustaining life forms and just start over? It's a thought. An uncomfortable one. Are they that rabid? Would they go that far? I don't know the answer. I would hazard a guess that the top level may be willing to "make it go right." Defeat is not in a Scientologist's vocabulary. Further, there are indications that Scientology may be ripe for such a takeover. First, they have already proved they do not care about the rights of any other humans on this planet. Second, they follow Hubbard's policies, no matter how insane or socially retarded. They will do anything to forward Scientology. Anything. Third, Hubbard wrote numerous policies on radiation and nuclear warfare. He stated that he wanted all Scientologists to survive World War III. Fourth, the stats are down. Miscavige said their backs were against the wall and they were crumbling right before the 1993 IRS settlement happened.150 Since then, their stats have not reverted, but continued to decline. They are nosediving. Therefore, desperation could author Plan #3. It is worrisome. And with the umbrella of religion cloaking their every move, how will Omega Sector151 ever be able to monitor the situation and intervene before it is too late? What can be done? I don't know. If the United States Government continues to allow this organization the freedom to do as it pleases, we may all be in deep, deep trouble. Write your congresspersons and senators. Start objecting. Make your voice heard. And pray. Part I Conclusion In summary, it is apparent that in the 50 years since Dianetics, The Modern Science of Mental Health was published, the world has not witnessed any noticeable improvement due to Scientology influence in the areas of war, crime and insanity, but instead, has witnessed remarkable contributions by Scientology to their increase. The same could be said about the lives of Scientology's leaders. It is this author's opinion that if Scientology hasn't engineered the eradication of these social problems in its 50-year existence, the odds are against it ever happening. If a real technology of mind or spirit existed within the teachings of L. Rn Hubbard, it would have taken the world by storm. As Victor Hugo correctly observed, "An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come." Further, the Year 2000 goals of the International Association of Scientologists have not been met because psychiatry still exists in all its forms. Scientology's attempt at making it to the forefront of Society has failed miserably. Western Europe and many other countries have closed their doors to it. So, with the goal of a world without war, crime and insanity being obviously unattainable, why does Scientology continue to assert it as a goal? Could it be that it is a tremendously effectual hook that traps idealistic people? It certainly justifies the long hours, terrible working conditions, little or no pay, absence from family, and other abuses. Without the idealism, people would not tolerate the poor conditions and the abuses. With the idealism, any price is worth the goal. As Russell Baker said: "Usually, terrible things that are done with the excuse that progress requires them are not really progress at all, but just terrible things." A WORLD WITHOUT... Part II Scientology sees a world that is lacking in the three negative elements of war, crime and insanity. But what positive elements does it envision? Vaguely, this author's recollection is that everyone would be at least Clear and ... what else? I'm not really sure. That everyone would be sane. And? Well ... hmmm. This author was a member for 13 years and studied it extensively. After all the psychs are gone, and everyone is Clear, then what? Oh, yes ... that's right. We're off to Target 2 ... to clear the Galaxy. But then what? Oh, well. There isn't any definitive explanation of what's on the other side except, presumably, the lack of war, crime and insanity, and that Clears (and obviously OTs as well) will be the only ones with any rights. So, absent any definitive guidance from L. Ron Hubbard, the following is my impression, based on my experience within and without Scientology, of what Scientology's utopia will not contain. It will truly be A World Without ... Visionaries L. Ron Hubbard is the final authority. If he didn't think it, it is irrelevant. No one has to think any more because he has done all the thinking mankind will ever need. (However, if that is true, and Hubbard was fully OT, then why is it that he did not foresee the Internet and stop it before it became Scientology's Viet Nam?) For this reason, it stands that there will rarely, if ever, be any Scientologist who will win a Nobel Prize in any category (should this institution survive Scientology's takeover). One reason is that many Scientologists are attracted to the type of work that will produce maximum income to further their progress up the Scientology Bridge to Total Freedom, rather than pursue other occupations that pay lower but make worthwhile contributions to society. Scientology emphasizes attracting celebrities into its flock over any other occupation. However, a society is not made up solely of artists. Further, Scientology's celebrity members are not particularly stellar. True, some enjoy popular draw at the box office, but none have ever been part of projects that won critical acclaim. Scientologists consider that Hubbard is the gold standard of life. There is no motivation to achieve anything more than what he achieved. For instance, his level of writing is the level of expertise to achieve, his views on art is the way art is to be produced, his philosophy on life is the end-all on how to carry on your own life. This explains the magnificent flop of Battlefield Earth, his sci-fi novel turned into a movie. It was rated "worse movie" of 2000. The world has moved on, but Scientology is still frozen in the 1950's. For example, Dianetics, with no new innovations or insights, is still promoted as the only way to everlasting mental health; the OT 3 incident includes intergalactic spaceships that look like DC-10's; a writing style that still follows the Golden Age of Science Fiction's penny-a-word standard, and so on. Well-Rounded Education Hubbard was not a believer in much more than reading, writing and arithmetic, and Scientology. Children in Scientology schools today are being short-changed in life by only getting minimal basic education and only Hubbard's philosophy of life, which is replete with, among other things, his paranoia about enemies. Scientology children are being taught to be paranoid and anti-social. Institutions of Higher Learning Universities will be done away with, unless they teach only Scientology. People will no longer be trained in logic, reason, independent thought, professions, etc. Sports Don't expect to see sports anymore, unless, possibly but not likely, it is the "Admin v. Tech" games. Who will you put your money on? The HCO Beez (tech) or the HCO Pee-Elz (admin)? In Scientology, the world is not black or white-it is green (admin) or red (tech). Scientific Investigation Don't expect to see a Scientologist find the cure for AIDS or cancer. Research scientists have to devote their lives to research, and it would be impossible for a Scientologist to have the time in his schedule to allow that much time away from his studies of Scientology. Further, the lack of foundational education would preclude reaching the intellectual level needed to conduct this type of research. It would also preclude scholarly inquiry into any intellectual discipline (all of the liberal arts). As a result, research centers and think tanks would cease to exist. Scientology has resisted review of its Dianetic therapy. It states that it is a science, but has not allowed any in-depth peer review culminating in certification or validation. There were only two known independent investigations, both of which occurred in the 1950's, and neither of which validated Dianetics: "Dianetic Therapy, An Experimental Evaluation152 and "An Experimental Investigation of Hubbard's Engram Hypothesis (Dianetics)."153 Further, a nobel prize winner, Isaac Isidor Rabi, commented critically on Dianetics in the Scientific American, January 1951. (See Appendix 2 for the text of his comments, as well as some Internet links to other 1950s articles on Dianetics.) So, scientific standards will, obviously, cease to exist and "what is true is what we say is true" will become the scientific standard. How will medical research, space exploration, or technological advances continue? This author does not believe they would. Even if Scientologists progressed into these areas, the funding to keep these institutions and agencies in business would probably become non- existent. Government Under a Scientology-dominated civil government, the good of the commonwealth will not be the determining factor in decision making. The motivation will be what benefits Scientology. And if history teaches us anything, it will be with a short-term view. (Probably with Thursday, at 2 p.m., in mind.) Civil government may cease to function as a separate entity and become just another division of the Church of Scientology, probably merged into the Chaplain's unit. Constitutional Rights The U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights will be set aside. Only Scientologists who have paid their money and attained the State of Clear or above will have civil rights. And even those rights are unclear and subject to the whim of the church leadership at the time. A Military It is unknown how many Scientology children coming of age will actually voluntarily serve in the military. If the draft were to be reimplemented before the world is transformed Scientologically, it is probable that the young adults would seek exemption due to the ease of becoming a Scientology minister (one course). After the world is transformed, there won't likely be a military. But, if history serves as a warning, there will be an intelligence network and plenty of private investigators to run a police state. No, it won't be the KGB or SAVAK, but it will be the same oppression. In a new unit of time, this oppressor's initials will be OSA. But it is not likely a police state will be enough to push back an invasion of foreign enemies. Odds are against Muslims becoming card- carrying Scientologists, and it is not likely Scientology can cure Saddam Hussein's insanity or his intentions to unite the Arab world and destroy the United States. A Duty Of Care Scientology says that "you are responsible for your condition." However, that statement does not seem to apply to the organization itself or its employees or agents when something goes wrong. In a Scientology world, the Scientology organization would continue to be exempt from responsibility for its actions, yet it will hold its members' feet to the hot iron of responsibility, even to the point of declaring them suppressive and expelling them, if it saves Scientology's reputation. (And Scientology denies that it uses sacrifices in its religious worship!) So, if a member dies because of a botched Scientology counseling regimen, as Lisa McPherson did, the organization is not responsible. Yet, it is the organization's policies and procedures which are applied, through its agents and employees, to the unwitting victim. Of course, if Scientology is in charge, it won't be a crime anymore.154 Therefore, the Scientology corporation, an artificial person, is ultimately responsible. Historically, Scientology points the finger at its agents or employees and cries Suppressive! even when those same agents or employees committed the crimes while carrying out Scientology's policies and procedures. Again, another example of the "third party" principle in action. This time its the State v. the Scientology member, and Scientology is the third party. Diversity All people will be Scientologists. They will study the same materials, have the same goals, the same mind-set. Independent thought will no longer exist. The Age of Enlightenment will be over and the world will sink back into another Dark Ages. A Truthful History The past will continue to be rewritten to put Scientology in the best light to keep its membership content. Therefore, there will be no truthful history. It is already happening. See above, the picture of the man with no head. Also, the changing of Hubbard's quote "communication is the universal solvent." Impartial Justice Civil courts will be transformed into Scientology courts where once you are declared a Suppressive Person, no one in the world will talk with you, conduct business with you or provide you with goods or services. It will be, in essence, a truly anti-christ society. Perhaps members will be required to have, 8-8008 stamped on their hand or forehead, instead of 666. After all, as mentioned above, Hubbard did reveal to his disciples on one of the OT levels that he is the anti-christ. You will be unable to exist within a Scientology society, so your only recourse will be to move to the Canadian backwoods, hunt moose and elk, and live in a yurt -- a level of existence similar to that endured by the imprisoned hero of Hubbard's Battlefield Earth, Jonnie Goodboy Tyler. When incarcerated by the evil alien race of Psychlos, he lived on a diet of raw rat. Perhaps Hubbard was giving the world a foreshadow of things to come once Scientology takes over. Secure Children Children will grow up without benefit of parents. Contact with grandparents will be outlawed, pursuant to Child Dianetics.155 Children will suffer from lack of security, love, compassion. They won't be functional adults, just abused soldiers on a mission to create a galaxy without war, crime and insanity. Families Children will grow up in conditions similar to communistic communes, the natural affection for parents will be lost, and nuclear families will no longer exist. Loyalty and other essential character qualities will not be fostered, and nurturing childhood experiences will not occur. Loyalty will only be to Scientology. God Scientology has never denied the existence of God. It refers to God as a "supreme being" and excludes "it" from Scientology. However, as mentioned above, Hubbard calls Christ a pedophile, and claimed the title of "anti-christ" for himself. Perhaps a world without war, crime and insanity is just another name for a satanic "Garden of Eden." Love Love is not included on Hubbard's emotional tone scale. Though many Scientologists sign their communications with "Love," emulating Hubbard's style, it is love without commitment, an empty social custom within Scientology. In fact, it commonly becomes abbreviated "L," and this is demonstrative of how empty of meaning the word is to Scientologists. According to Dianetics,156 "it has been discovered, that there are three kinds of love between a woman and a man. The first is the affection with which mankind holds mankind; the second is sexual selection and is a true magnetism between partners; the third is compulsive "love" dictated by nothing more reasonable than aberration." Who discovered it is not stated. Three kinds of love "between a woman and a man" is a limited view of love for it excludes love between a parent and a child, a son and his father, a daughter and her mother, a human and his pet, etc. Help for the Mentally Distressed Mentally distressed people will have nowhere to turn. Their human rights will terminate on Scientology's ascension to power. As mentioned earlier, Hubbard said in "Science of Survival" that people below 2.0 on his Emotional Tone Scale should be put away quietly, with no sorrow. Help for the Physically Distressed There will be no hospitals or medical personnel given Hubbard's disparagement of "medicos"157 and Scientology's viewpoint that all illness in greater or lesser extent stems for PTSness (described below). Medical Standards Scientology maintains that illness comes in greater or lesser extent from being under the influence of an suppressive person. The condition is called PTSness, which stands for Potential Trouble Source.158 So all illness is lumped into one indistinguishable category: PTSness. Scientology subscribes to the non-germ theory of illness,159 but as yet has not revealed how it is that vaccinations have eradicated many horrible diseases such as polio, small pox, typhoid and whooping cough. Even Gene Denk, M.D., an OT 8 medical doctor, questioned Scientology's germ theory to this author by asking how vaccinations work if there is not such thing as germs. Does everyone in the world just suddenly become PTS at the same time? No. Expect to see pandemics of curable diseases come back. Further, Scientology promotes Dianetics as a panacea. For example, on the subject of birthing, it advocates home births in conjunction with Dianetic techniques. It elevates its system of so-called preventative mental therapy above the physical well-being of its adherents. This author's son is a casualty of this approach. Because of the Dianetic influence, he was intentionally allowed to be born at home by a chiropractic midwife and an OB/GYN physician. These medical personnel knew well in advance of birth my son's breech position and in contravention of medical laws and known medical practice which prohibit breech babies being born at home, they allowed it to occur. As a result of two full days of false labor prior to a full day of true labor, he suffered severe brain trauma because the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck three times. This caused severe oxygen deprivation. If he had been delivered by caesarian section at the onset of the first day of labor, he would have been spared a life of hell. Instead, thanks to the Dianetics approach, he spent the first weeks of his life at Children's Hospital on intravenous feedings and Phenobarbital, a barbiturate used as a sedative, a hypnotic, and an anticonvulsant, a drug that has been linked to lower IQ and drug addictions. Further, "complications during birth, long labor, a breech position ... are associated with an increased risk of violent suicide for adult men."160 Therefore, instead of having a mentally healthy baby, we were given the nightmare of a physically damaged baby with significant mental and behavioral problems. When the health and safety of the patient takes a back seat to philosophical ideas there is always disaster. A second example is cancer, a common illness among upper level Scientologists.161 They are advised to buy "auditing" as a cure.162 To my knowledge, this has not resulted in any cures but, instead, these people have been prevented from seeking competent medical advice. In fact, there is some conjecture that the Scientology e- meter may have instigate cancer. These people may have enjoyed longer lives, and even gone into remission, if they had been encouraged to seek competent medical help. This author was told by a Scientology registrar that a broken wrist would heal in one month (instead of three months) if I bought 25 hours of auditing. The registrar used the logic that returning to work sooner would justify the expense. My wrist healed in three months, just like the doctor said, despite the 25 hours of auditing. This kind of "practicing medicine" is common in Scientology. From my experience, it appears that Scientology would let you die rather than call 911 and possibly become embroiled in controversy. While on staff, this author had an ovarian cyst that torsioned and nearly died because no staff member was willing to leave their post to take me to the hospital. This was due to the fear of getting into trouble for leaving post without permission. However, to get permission was not an easy matter. The old saying "it is easier to get forgiveness than permission" does not work in Scientology. Forgiveness is as hard to obtain as permission. By the time treatment was received, the cyst was on the verge of rupture. With Scientology at the helm, expect to see an escalation of preventable diseases and deaths. Because universities will no longer exist, doctors will no longer be trained. Your health will be in the hands of a hastily trained ethics officer who will tell you that your cigarette smoke allergy can be cured by taking up smoking; the electrical sensations in your neck and back aren't Lhermitte's Sign (an indication of a neurological problem), rather, it is the result of a "Marcabian implant"; the panic attacks you suffer aren't an allergy to Nutrasweet, rather it is the nervous hysteria that results from going past misunderstood words, a no-no in the world of Hubbardian education; fatigue comes from "failed purposes" instead of a failing thyroid; cancer can be cured with auditing; and other health problems are the result of your being under the influence of a suppressive person and the only needed treatment is "handling" for the PTS condition. (This author was "diagnosed" with all of these--except cancer.) Others have had similar worries of what would happen if Scientology achieved its goal. Recommended reading is Imagine the New Scientology World Order,163 and another is Ken Rose's A Scientology World.164 |
Summary Scientology's world without war, crime and insanity is just another humanistic bid for utopia. Failed utopias are rampant in history. In the 1800's, Horace Mann and John Dewey envisioned crime levels so low or non-existent that one wouldn't need to lock his house at night. How did they propose to achieve this utopian vision? By establishing public schools. And what have public schools given us? Crime, drugs, sexual promiscuity, and illiteracy. At the same time, Karl Marx designed a secular state that was supposed to take care of the needs of everyone. The resulting tragedies of Soviet Russia and eastern Europe are well known. The Nazis' utopia was a world ruled by the Aryan race, which ended in the deaths of millions of people on the battlefields and in the concentration camps. Utopias are concepts of ideal societies in which social, political, and economic evils afflicting mankind have been eradicated and in which the state functions for the good and happiness of all concerned. The word utopia (coined from the Greek autopia-"no place" and eutopia-"good place") stands for the ultimate in human folly or human hope -- vain dreams of perfection in a Never-Never Land or rational efforts to remake man's environment and his institutions and even his own erring nature, so as to enrich the possibilities of the common life. However, despite all human attempts at creating a utopia, it continues to allude its would-be creators. Mankind stands at the door of the 21st Century. What would it be like if Scientology achieved its goal? It could possibly be similar to what the cultured and technologically advanced Romans experienced when Rome fell during the 5th Century after it was invaded by the hordes of Germanic barbarians. This event marked the beginning of the Dark Ages. The barbarians had no technology and no advanced civilization. All the barbarians could do was make war and hunt. All Scientology is trained to do is make war and grub for money. You will see the end of civilization as we know it. And not for the better. Another analogy to the consequences of a Scientology utopia can be seen in Iran, with the exile of the Shah of Iran in 1979, and the ascension of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and his Islamic society several weeks later. Iran, under the Shah, had become progressive and enlightened. The Shah's "White Revolution" allowed women to vote and to hold jobs, built big cities, and created a more progressive society. When the Ayatollah was in France, before his ascension to power, he was interviewed. In that interview, he told the reporter that "in the new 'democratic' society he was going to build, women would be free to go to the universities, to work in society, to go to offices or anywhere, to be elected to parliament, to choose their destiny. Only moral corruption and decadency between men and women would be restricted in his new Iran."165 His words did not match his actions because when the Ayatollah Khomeini's regime came into power, fundamentalist Shi'ite Islam became the state religion, and the country instantly regressed. Rights of women, especially, vanished overnight; Western technology was despised; many of the beautiful palaces and other architectural landmarks were torn down or vandalized; Western influence was viewed as detracting Iranians from submitting to God and, thus, was evil and was eradicated wherever possible; students entering Iranian universities had to pass a test on the Muslim faith; and anyone suspected of opposing the revolution was severely punished. A Scientology official, commenting on Scientology's militancy, said "we're not a turn-the-other-cheek religion." The only other religion this author is aware of that has a similar level of militancy (perhaps, like Scientology, only in its ruling tier) is Islam. Islamic terrorists are feared world-wide by perceived enemies. Islam also deals with critics harshly. When Salman Rushdie published The Satanic Verses, a critical book about the Koran, the Prophet Muhammad, and Islam, Ayatollah Khomeini put out a "fatwa" (an edict--compared to Scientology's "Fair Game" policy166) on Mr. Rushdie's life offering a $5 million bounty, which forced Mr. Rushdie into hiding. Note, however, that most rank-and-file of most faiths tend to be peaceful people. This includes individual Scientologists and Moslems. Therefore, this author suspects the problem is "at the top," or perhaps lies with the factions of anomalies all religions tend to attract at some point in their history. Disregarding the individual members of either religion, the parallels between these two religions are striking: members are disenfranchised from their rights; things that are not evil in and of themselves become taboo (in Iran, anything from Western culture is evil and therefore taboo: t-shirts, jeans, music, architecture, etc.), in Scientology those things declared evil are the news media, suppressive people, "medicos" (medical doctors in general), and psychologists and psychiatrists, specifically; and, finally, in both religious camps opposition is dealt with severely. Further, seriousness about its mission are traits shared by both religions. Hubbard advises, in Keeping Scientology Working, No. 1,167 to turn that wandering look of doubt in Miss Pattycake's eyes into a dedicated stare. Why that level of commitment? Here's Hubbard's explanation:
With a similar attitude, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini said, "There is no room for play in Islam...It is deadly serious about everything."170 Another key factor in creating and holding the utopian vision together are lies. Scientology tells newcomers that it is compatible with Christianity, when in fact the founder of Scientology states as fact, on one of the upper OT levels, as mentioned above, that Jesus was a pedophile and that he [Hubbard] is the anti-christ. The Ayatollah gave the impression, before he came to power, that women would have rights and then reversed his position. It isn't the first time those creating their vision of a utopian society have lied. And history is rewritten to keep the rank and file believing the utopia is coming. Anything contrary to the agenda is deleted. Acceptable truths and outright lies are the order of the day. One of the most successful lies that kept Scientology staff members from leaving staff was "The Universe Corp is coming to deliver OT levels" to the staff. In the 12 years I was in, it never came. I have never heard that it ever did. Scientology even encouraged rumors that the secret of spontaneous human combustion (SHC) would be revealed on the upper OT levels. Scientology uses mystery to sell its services. In anyone would actually look, they would find that the FBI debunked the supernatural aspects of SHC. Spontaneous Human Combustion is a phenomenon known as "the wick effect," in which a small simmering fire sparked by something such as a cigarette grows to an intense heat with the body's own fat acting as a fuel source. The fat, in effect, seeps into the victim's clothes and causes the victim to burn like the wick of a Coleman lantern. This process causes great heat in the immediate vicinity, but the heat only goes straight up, leaving flammable items next to the fire as unharmed as a camper sleeping next to a crackling campfire. "Once the body starts to burn," the FBI wrote in its report, "there is enough fat and other inflammable substances to permit varying amounts of destruction to take place. Sometimes this destruction by burning will proceed to a degree which results in almost complete combustion of the body."171 Merchants of Hidden Knowledge make a fortune preying on the fears of the unknown, real things that they think can never be proven or invented things that can never be proven: spontaneous human combustion, the Marcabians and the Fifth Invader Forces, the OT 3 "Wall of Fire," the psychs, all used to instill a sense of danger and fear to keep the rank and file in line. A final comment about utopias is that fear and oppression are standard fare and result in the inhibition of vision, research, and progress. That is one of the reasons why utopias fail. A Hubbardian utopia will not succeed any better than a Marxist utopia, or a Nazi utopia, or a Mann/Dewey utopia, or an Islamic utopia, but it will contain just as much fear and oppression. Fear and oppression are constant because every utopia has an enemy it must dispose of: for the Nazis it was the non-Aryans, for the Communists, it is the Capitalists, for the Muslims it is "The Great Satan" (the United States), for the Scientologists, it is "the Critics, the Psychs, the IRS, the Medicos, the 'Merchants of Chaos,." etc. So with all these enemies, how can there ever be world peace? There can't be. Not with Scientology as it exists today. APPENDIX 1 The Death of a Judge's Dog Judge Ronald Swearinger presided over the Scientology v. Wollershim trial. During that trial, he claims that he was followed on several occasions, his tires were slashed, and his dog drowned in his swimming pool. The following are various articles pertaining to these incidents. Let's see what the Judge had to say first. In an interview with William W. Horne, a reporter employed by The American Lawyer magazine which took place in 1992, Judge Swearinger stated that his dog had drowned in the family swimming pool during the trial of the Wollersheim case, and that the judge believed that he had been followed when in his car throughout the trial. The judge informed Horne that, while he was in possession of no evidence to corroborate the suspicions he harbored, he nonetheless felt that members of the Church of Scientology were responsible for such actions." Horne allegedly stated [to Scientology attorneys] the judge told him the judge's veterinarian told him the dog was old and had died of a heart attack, yet the judge still felt the dog had fallen or been pushed into the pool. Also, Horne stated the judge had said he felt the Church was somehow responsible for the dog's death. The judge also told Horne that he had been followed "a few times" in his car during the trial and he had assumed the Church was responsible for these actions. Horne's article in the July/August 1992 issue of The American Lawyer quoted Judge Swearinger as saying: " 'I was followed [at various times] throughout the trial ... and during motions for a new trial.... All kinds of things were done to intimidate me, and there were a number of unusual occurrences during that trial. My car tires were slashed. My collie drowned in my pool. But there was nothing overtly threatening, and I didn't pay any attention to the funny stuff.' " (Horne, The Two Faces of Scientology (July/Aug. 1992) Am.Law. p. 77.) When a quote from Judge Swearinger regarding the dog's drowning was published in The American Lawyer (Horne 1992), Scientologists denied any involvement. (Scientology vs. the Internet: An Update and Response to Leisa Goodman, By Jim Lippard at http://www.primenet.com/~lippard/goodman-response.html.) However, other evidence surfaced indicating otherwise. The first evidence this author found was of Scientology's complicity and is contained in a court document: "Wollersheim submitted the declaration of Steven Fishman, on parole for a conviction of mail fraud [at Scientology's behest]. He was a former member who had been sued by the Church. Fishman declared that in the late summer or early fall of 1986 another Scientologist told him that he had drowned a dog named "Duke" that belonged to a Judge Swearinger." (Church Of Scientology Of California, Plaintiff and Appellant, v. Lawrence Wollersheim, Defendant and Respondent. Nos. B084686 & B086063. Court of Appeal, Second District, Division 3, California. Feb. 1, 1996. Review Denied May 22, 1996.) The next evidence found was a declaration by Steve Fishman concerning a co-audit he did with Lenny Leibowitz while they were on the Scientology St. Hill Special Briefing Course. "Mr. [Lenny] Leibowitz [of White Plains, New York] related [during an auditing session to Steve Fishman] that he was having difficulty handling the fact that he had drowned a dog. Mr. Leibowitz [said] that the dog was a collie by the name of "Duke," and that he belonged to a Judge Swearinger who lived in the hills of Los Angeles. Mr. Leibowitz indicated that he was driven to the Judge's house in a white late model Jeep Cherokee by another intern with the Office of Special Affairs of Scientology. The intern who drove him to the Judge's house was named Clarice Guidice. Mr. Leibowitz told me that Clarice Guidice was on an internship from the Milan Org in Italy, and she spoke with a thick Italian accent. He described her as a girl in her mid-twenties, who had a "chunky pot belly." He further stated that she did not own the white jeep, but rather it was a car owned by a senior staff member at the Office of Special Affairs in Los Angeles. Mr. Leibowitz related that Clarice Guidice had something he called an "international driver's license" ... and that when he arrived at the judge's house, he walked around the back of the house while Clarice Guidice remained in the jeep as she was driving. Mr. Leibowitz then threw the dog into the pool and "sat on the dog" until the dog drowned. Mr. Leibowitz also complained that his clothes were all wet and he foolishly had not brought a change of clothes with him. Mr. Leibowitz related that he was ordered to drown the dog by Kendrick "Rick" Moxon of the Office of Special Affairs of the Church of Scientology International. Mr. Leibowitz also stated that Mr. Moxon informed Mr. Leibowitz that "if he didn't do it, someone else would." (Declaration of Steven Fishman re criminal activity November 3, 1993, at http://www.xenu.org/factnet/SCN/FILES/LEGAL/FISHAFF2.TXT) It was alleged, under oath in another legal proceeding, that it was Kendrick Moxon, Esq. [one of Scientology's lawyers] who ordered the killing of Judge Swearinger's dog during the Wollersheim case. (In The Superior Court Of The State Of California For The County Of Riverside, Kenneth Hoden, Plaintiff, vs. H. Keith Henson, Defendant, Case No. RIC 306884.) Kendrick Moxon was an unindicted co-conspirator in the federal court case that sent Mary Sue Hubbard (the wife of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard) and several other Scientologists to jail.
APPENDIX 2 A Nobel Prize Winner Critiques Dianetics A nobel prize winner, Isaac Isidor Rabi, commented on Dianetics in the January 1951 edition of Scientific American: DIANETICS: THE MODERN SCIENCE OF MENTAL HEALTH, BY L. RON HUBBARD. Hermitage House ($4.00). "This volume probably contains more promises and less evidence per page than has any publication since the invention of printing. Briefly, its thesis is that man is intrinsically good, has a perfect memory for every event of his life, and is a good deal more intelligent than he appears to be. However, something called the engram prevents these characteristics from being realized in man's behavior. During moments of unconsciousness and pain and at any time from conception onward, the "reactive mind" can still record experience, but experiences so recorded -engrams- are a major source of man's misery, his psychosomatic ills, his neuroses and psychoses, his poor memory, and his generally inefficient functioning. By a process called dianetic revery, which resembles hypnosis and which may apparently be practiced by anyone trained in dianetics, these engrams may be recalled. Once thoroughly recalled, they are "refiled," and the patient becomes a "clear," who is not handicapped by encumbering engrams and who can thenceforth function at a level of intellect, efficiency and goodness seldom if ever realized before in the history of man. The system is presented without qualification and without evidence. It has borrowed from psychoanalysis, Pavlovian conditioning, hypnosis and folk beliefs, but, except for the last, these debts are fulsomely denied. The huge sale of the book to date is distressing evidence of the frustrated ambitions, hopes, ideals, anxieties and worries of the many persons who through it have sought succor. I.I. Rabi, winner of the Nobel prize in physics in 1944, was a professor of physics at Columbia University. WANT MORE INFORMATION? http://www.xenu.net is a very good place to start. It is the best resource on the Internet. "Scientology With(out) An End," is an excellent paper that discusses many aspects of Scientology and is available free online at http://cisar.org/swoe/index.htm#11 "Scientology: Soul Hackers," by "Antivirus," is a very insightful essay about Scientology's use of the psychological concept of Transference and is available free on-line at www.lisatrust.net. If you have a question or would like to make a comment about this paper, feel free to contact the author at [email protected]. |
1. The actual, full quote is "A civilization without insanity, without
criminals and without war, where the able can prosper and honest
beings can have rights and where Man is free to rise to greater
heights, are the aims of Scientology." From The Aims Of Scientology,
by L. Ron Hubbard, quoted on-line at
http://www.piratehaven.org/~atman/factnet/rpt.txt. The term
"civilization" can mean only the civilized world or the literate
society. Juxtaposed against Scientology's agenda to "clear the
planet," it is apparent that Scientology's aim is not just to bring
about a mere civilization, but to conquer the entire world. Hence, "A
World Without..."
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