Since Scientology is in the news, again.....

[thetinymagic2]

I've read numerous things over the decades, as each new "story" leaked, however, the tales of the 3 wives are really stories re: L Ron Hubbard that even Hollywood couldn't make up. The details are just fascinating. It always astounds me, that in these days of internet "knowledge", Scientologists and their minions are so obviously brainwashed, or ignorant of these FACTS. I mean - come ON. A phony "religion" was based on THIS???????

The Sara Hollister marriage is of particular heinousness.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sara_Northrup_Hollister

I also post the WIKIPEDIA pg. for Hubbard.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L_ron_hubbard

If you're REALLY interested, the other wives, children are fasinating, too.

[SNAFU]

Oh the things Scientology has done and tried to cover up! They don't believe in psychiatry remember!http://www.lisamcpherson.org/

if this post is deleted, it is because of Scientology's influence!

[thetinymagic2]

Yes, I remember Lisa's story, and have read numerousother equally horrific stories. Lest we forget poor John Travolta's son, etc..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cc_wjp262RY
Need I say more? lol. I just LOVED Matt Lauer's body language.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S800ilR9c4

(Ever wonder why there's hardly ONE tidbit about Tom Cruise's (young) family life on the internet)?

[dramamama611]

Tom Cruise is a douchebag. Hard to believe once studied to become a priest. Good for Katie Holmes for (finally) getting out.

[GavestonPS]

Not so hard to believe, dramamama. Lots of closeted gay men used to try to "escape" to the priesthood, hoping it would save them from themselves.

Of course, we all know how that turned out.

[EricMontreal22]

This is a LONG read, but one I found fascinating when first published--starting from Paul Haggis (an ex Scientologist) trying to get the church to denounce their support of Prop 8. Paul Haggis vs the Church of Scientology http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/02/14/110214fa_fact_wright

[EricMontreal22]

This is a LONG read, but one I found fascinating when first published--starting from Paul Haggis (an ex Scientologist) trying to get the church to denounce their support of Prop 8. Paul Haggis vs the Church of Scientology http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/02/14/110214fa_fact_wright

[GavestonPS]

Thank you, Eric. I studied the church as an undergrad, but that was 30 years ago. This is the most comprehensive article on Scientology I've read since then.

[MrMidwest]

Segment on Scientology from Rock Center

[MrMidwest]

Tom Cruise's former Scientology auditor speaks out

[JerseyGirl2]

The Suppressive Person's Manual was leaked and is available online. It's a really interesting look into their brainwashing.

[MrMidwest]

What happens when a Scientologist leaves?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Okay, so last night after the Rock Center report, I went online and fell into a Scientology rabbit hole. First I watched the BBC doc, Scientology and Me

http://youtu.be/WUn37iHxNIg

Then I started watching what I guess was Scientology's retort to it.

http://youtu.be/sdIJHZmtIYo

One thing (of many) that I don't understand, is why all the confrontations with the Sceientologists, particularly Tommy Davis, sound all fake and scripted.

[EricMontreal22]

Gaveston, I'm impressed you read the whole thing. I've been fascinated with the "religion" ever since I was a teen and had a friend who for a good few years was being sucked into a local chapter here (and already spending a ton of money on them--actually I have no idea what's happened to him, but last I spoke to him he did seem to be becoming disillusioned). It really is a good, and still kinda shocking, piece and one of the best, most comprehensive articles I've read about the whole "church".

[GavestonPS]

Eric, I actually have a great interest in religion (I was raised in a conservative evangelical household. I'm now a devout apostate.)

I used to defend Scientology, not because I approve of their methods, but because all new religions are accused of all sorts of strange behaviors and those who leave often have to justify their previous commitment by claiming they were "brain-washed" (which is actually quite difficult and rare) or otherwise coerced.

Most new movements aren't all that different from Catholicism or the Church of LDS except that they haven't been around so long and folks aren't used to them.

But the NEW YORKER article seems to document real physical and psychological abuse and coercion. I have to rethink my belief that Scientology is mostly like the Unification Church or the Hare Krishna.

[Kad]

An anecdotal piece of evidence against Scientology here:

I grew up near Clearwater, Florida- a major Scientology center for whatever reason. A girl one year younger than myself in high school was a practicing Scientologist, and when she came of the age that she could advance in the church, she did.

And cut herself off of everyone she knew outside of the Church. No one could reach her, she wouldn't take calls or answer emails or texts. She later married a man who was quite older than herself, also obviously in the church.

Her all-but abandoned Facebook will still garner comments on her birthday from former friends, wishing that she was still in their lives and hadn't abandoned so many loved ones.

[FindingNamo]

Clearwater is their mecca. And they own much of the property in town. After years of living on a yacht in international waters, Hubbard eventually moved his base on land there. They've been building and fundraising and building and fundraising for their flagship venue there, The Super Powers Building. I was surprised at their lack of subtlety when I read it's where the upper level richest members will go and learn techniques that are literally super powers. At the level he's at, Tom Cruise has total control over what they call MEST. That's matter, energy, space and time for those of you who haven't dug into this organization. That's right, Tom Cruise believes he can control that.

[SNAFU]

He just can't control is soon to be ex wife though.

[GavestonPS]

Namo, I'd always heard the stories about Hubbard living on a yacht in international waters, too. But if I read the NEW YORKER article correctly, it seems he may have been living in seclusion on land somewhere in the Northwest U.S.

Did you look at Eric's link? Am I misreading what it says about Hubbard's history?

***

Kad, the shunning of non-believers is pretty common to a lot of religious and quasi-religious groups. I remember kids in high school who were sent to Synanon and then forced to shun anyone who had ever done illegal drugs (which was all of us).

Until fairly recently, it was common for Catholic women to seclude themselves in convents, basically cutting off all contact with the outside world. Some monks did the same.

So while I agree it should alarm us, your friend's cutting of all non-Scientologist ties is one of those aspects that actually makes the Church sound pretty normal.

[Borstalboy]

I can't believe EST hasn't made a comeback.

[GavestonPS]

I can't believe EST hasn't made a comeback.

I think improvements to adult diapers put it out of business.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Gaveston, I totally get what you're saying about it being like any other Church, and on the surface that's true, but once you start pulling at the thread and digging a little deeper (and mixing your metaphors) it's friggin crazy. And yeah, I totally believe ALL religion is crazy, but this is still something else. Because all the Xenu hoohah isn't even the tip of the iceberg. And none have a sacrament of Disconnection.

I can't even direct you but just start googling it on YouTube if you want to know thinks you can never unknow. It just makes me sad when I found out a celebrity is one. Jason Lee hurts most of all.

[FindingNamo]

EST became The Landmark Forum.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

A friend, or former friend of mine, did something called The Phoneix Courses, I think? It was weird how for like six months not one of us in his circle of friends uttered the word "cult."




This is one of the less scary videos I've watched in the past few days

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

And this one makes me laugh. I can't help it. It's the way she talks, like she's Southern. I swear to god if I didn't watch the videos about the real people, I'd think I was being punked.


Do Ah Look BrainWASHED to you?

[GavestonPS]

Phyllis, I agree. If Eric's NEW YORKER link is even partially correct, then Scientology has gone far beyond what Christian churches have done, at least since the 18th century.

Sorry, I meant to make that clear. My only point was that the "shunning" is pretty common, especially among newer groups.