Scientology: the Truth behind the Cult

The “Church” of Scientology and seven of it’s members are set to stand trial for crimes of fraud and “Illegally acting as a pharmacy”.

Apparently French officials are pretty much over the moon about this lawsuit since if the plaintiff, a woman apparently conned out of 20 000 Euros by the “church”, is successful in her suit and the “church” of Scientology is found guilty it will strengthen the state’s long-running feud with Scientology.

Hmmm, yet another European government that finds the “church’s” tactics distasteful

Isn’t it all rather amusing that an area of the world as noted for it’s liberalism as Europe is, has such a problem with the “church” of Scientology?

The reason itself should be rather obvious though. Most first world European countries value, above all else, their freedom, and this is exactly what it is that Scientology has perfected methods to oppress.

Freedom of speech, free will, free press… The “church” of Scientology is enemies of them all.

In order to effectively make my point I’d like to steal an idea from Operation Clambake, still the leading online critical resource of the “church” of Scientology, and draw comparisons between Scientology, as an organisation, and the world presented by George Orwell in the book “1984”…

Scientology and Accepting Unreality

“In a way, the world-view of the Party imposed itself most successfully on people incapable of understanding it. They could be made to accept the most flagrant violations of reality, because they never fully grasped the enormity of what was demanded of them, and were not sufficiently interested in public events to notice what was happening. By lack of understanding they remained sane. They simply swallowed everything, and what they swallowed did them no harm, because it left no residue behind, just as a grain of corn will pass undigested through the body of a bird.”

-George Orwell, ‘1984′

This can actually be seen in almost every aspect of life, be it religion, government or simply social interaction. The less you understand the more you are willing to accept. Simple as that. Critical thought is frowned upon and analysis is anathema.

Simply, if you find fault with anything taught in Scientology it means, to them, that you “misunderstood” something, or perhaps that there is a fault within you that must be “repaired” through one of their techniques.

This is one reason why Scientologists cannot abide by criticism, and it usually falls on their very deaf ears. Criticise them and it means there must be something “broken” with you.

Unfortunately this means a lot of Scientologists have a very “dumbed down” world view. They don’t need to expand their minds or search for the truth anywhere outside of the “church” Hubbard has told them all they need to know and they don’t need a single other thing.

Scientology And Lack Of Privacy

“In principle a Party member had no spare time and was never alone except in bed. It was assumed that when he was not working, eating or sleeping he would be taking part in some communal recreations; to do anything that suggested a taste for solitude, even to go for a walk by yourself, was always slightly dangerous. There was a word for it in Newspeak: ownlife, it was called, meaning individualism and eccentricity.”

-George Orwell, ‘1984′

There are eight dynamics in Scientology.. These are:

• Self

• Sex and family

• group

• mankind

• life

• universe

• theta or life force

• infinity

Now, this makes a Scientologists life look rather balanced between what could be considered healthy pursuits and activities (personally I wish I could spend a full 8^th of my life having sex), but when one looks at these dynamics in action the picture is quite a bit different.

Only one of the eight dynamics is ’self’, so only an eighth of you can be dedicated to yourself.

In the organisation if you want to spend time alone you’re “not being a team player” or other such claims. It means you’re being too “first dynamically oriented”, which is a sign of criminality and unethical behaviour.

As with the Thought Police in Orwell’s 1984 the “church” of Scientology reserves the right to subject it’s members to interrogations using a lie detector to find out the members’ innermost secrets, to find out just how dedicated they are to the “church”.

This is also an effective way of keeping outsiders or “Suppressive Persons” out of the organisation, making it that much more difficult to find out the secrets of the “church” without being completely dedicated to their crazy goings-on.

The Expansion Of Scientology Influence

“Day and night the telescreens bruised your ears with statistics proving that people today had more food, more clothes, better houses, better recreations — that they lived longer, worked shorter hours, were bigger, healthier, stronger, happier, more intelligent, better educated, than the people of fifty years ago. Not a word of it could ever be proved or disproved.”

-George Orwell, 1984

Statistics, albeit falsified ones, were always a favourite tool of Hubbard, the “church” of Scienology, his brainchild, is no different.

At every gathering of Scientologists, statistics proving the booming expansion are ranted on about. Some of these statistics are in actual fact, true, in and of themselves, unfortunately, while the religious leaders are rambling on about every new “church” built, every new country infiltrated by Scientology and every new member brought into the fold, they fail to mention the countries from which they are banned, the members who have turned against them, the lawsuits, the threats or the countries in which the cult simply failed to gain any true foothold.

In the eyes of the average Scientologist they are happier than ever, and they are a part of a rapidly growing movement which will soon dominate the planet.

In fact, Scientology’s numbers have been slowly declining over the last five years. While they claim a greater following than ever, people are slowly but surely seeing the truth of the cult.

Unfortunately, unless they learn to think for themselves Scientologists will never be aware of these facts.

Scientology And Big Brother

“At the apex of the pyramid comes Big Brother. Big Brother is infallible and all-powerful. Every success, every achievement, every victory, every scientific discovery, all knowledge, all wisdom, all happiness, all virtue, are held to issue directly from his leadership and inspiration. Nobody has ever seen Big Brother. He is a face on the hoardings, a voice on the telescreen. We may be reasonable sure that he will never die, and there is already considerable uncertainty as to where he was born. Big Brother is the guise in which the Party choose to exhibit itself to the world. His function is to act as a focusing point for love, fear, and reverence, emotions which are more easily felt toward an individual than toward an organization.”

-George Orwell, 1984

L Ron Hubbard.

End of story. Read the above passage again, and that is what Scientologists believe about Hubbard. They claim he’s not a messianic figure, but he’s pretty damned close.

“Doublethink”

“To know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which canceled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them, to use logic against logic, to repudiate morality while laying claim to it, to believe that democracy was impossible and that the Party was the guardian of democracy, to forget, whatever it was necessary to forget, then to draw it back into memory again at the moment when it was needed, and then promptly to forget it again, and above all, to apply the same process to the process itself — that was the ultimate subtlety; consciously to induce unconsciousness, and then, once again, to become unconscious of the act of hypnosis you had just performed. Even to understand the word ‘doublethink’ involved the use of doublethink.”

-George Orwell, 1984

I don’t think I can word this correctly, given my position outside of the “church” of Scientology, so I’m going to copy and paste a direct quote from a man, an ex-Scientologist, called Robert Vaughn Young:

“After nearly 22 years in the cult, I came away puzzled how I could know the truth and think otherwise. Many people asked me how it worked but it wasn’t until I read “1984″ that I read a description that fit the mindset to move up the command ladder in Scientology.

This is what one is encountering with Sea Org/Dept 20 personnel. One wonders, can they believe this? Don’t they know the truth? Yes and no. It is doublethink, right out of “1984.” And if you tell them this, they will doublethink their way out of it as self-protection. As one moves up the Scientology ladder of command, this is how one begins to think and if one doesn’t think this way, one does not move up the ladder. One begins to learn that there are facts being withheld but there are reasons and so one begins to hold both facts in one’s mind while learning to think with Scientology’s “logic.” Then one does what Orwell says, the process is applied to the process so that one if finally deluding oneself that up is down or black is white. For example, one of Scientology’s favorite come ons is, “What is true for you, is true for you,” as if a person can believe what they want. It doesn’t take long to learn that this is true only as long as what you want to believe is what L. Ron Hubbard wants you to believe. To do otherwise sends you to their “thought police.” Further trouble and - if you are Sea Org - you are sent to a camp for “rehabilitation,” a word and a concept that Orwell would have loved. In the meantim, the staff member also believes the original promise: that what is true for him is true for him. This is doublethink. It is also what one is astounded to see, when one steps out of it and says, “I was believing WHAT?” “

Well, Isaac Hayes is dead.
Isaac Hayes was a Scientologist.
So someone had to know I’d post about it here. I’ve taken a bit of a hiatus from the Scientology front, basically I’ve been waiting for something new to happen, something new and worth talking about and, I guess, this is it.

Now I know you’re probably worried that I am, in some crazy conspiracy-theorist-way, going to blame his death on Scientology. Well, I’m not going to do it in a crazy conspiracy-theorist-way, but I am, in a small way, blaming Scientology.

Why?

Well, if Isaac Hayes had, for instance, been a Catholic, he quite likely would still be alive.

You see, the well-publicised abandonment of South Park by Isaac Hayes back in 2005/6 not only robbed the show of the popular and well-liked character, Chef, it also robbed Isaac Hayes of a valuable income. An income he was hard-pressed to supplement since a stroke in January of 2006 had left him weakened, lacking in motor control skills and unable to speak clearly. A terminal situation for a man who makes his money from performing.

Unfortunately Isaac Hayes had no choice in the matter, the decision to leave South Park as a result of the Scientology, ‘Trapped In The Closet’ episode, was not his to make and the “church” of Scientology put pressure on Isaac Hayes and eventually announced, themselves, that he would be leaving South Park.

The Downward Spiral and Hayes’ Financial Woes

Having left South Park and in desperate need of any form of income, both to feed his own family and to continue the payments required to advance in his “church”, Isaac Hayes turned to the only option left to him. Performing.

Despite his drained, damaged and weakened state, Isaac Hayes began doing live performances again, performances that were somewhat lacking in his signature passion and vigor.

Even Samuel L. Jackson, who recently shot a movie with Isaac Hayes, ‘Soul Men’ stated that Hayes wasn’t “up to the physical demands of filming.”

His Death

Isaac Hayes was found dead on his treadmill. He’s officially been diagnosed as having suffered a lethal stroke.

Despite the fact that a man of Hayes’ ill health should never have been on a treadmill alone, there is also the question of treatment after his last stroke.

Stroke victims often need treatment by neurologists, psychiatrists and even psychotropic drugs. Members of Scientology are strictly forbidden from ever using any of these. So what was the “church” doing to help Hayes’ with his flagging physical health? Anything?

The “church” of Scientology pushed Hayes into a corner, they robbed him of his ability to support himself and yet continued to demand that he support them. He was consumed by the guilt of not being able to advance in Scientology because he didn’t have the money, he was forced to push himself beyond his limits just in an attempt to subsidise the “church”, and at the very end, where was Scientology for Hayes?

Tom Cruise is being sued in connection with a law suit that has been filed against the “church” of Scientology. One Peter Letterese has filed a suit of harassment against the organistaion and claims that, as Tom Cruise is the “right hand man” of Tom Miscavige, current leader of the “church” of Scientology, his being named in the lawsuit is perfectly valid.

In addition to the lawsuit Letterese has called for the “church” of Scientology to be broken up according to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) law.

Any other opinions out there?

When did Tom Cruise first join the “church” of Scientology?

Contrary to popular belief, Tom Cruise’s involvement in Scientology did not begin as recently as the last decade or so. Tom Cruise was, in actual fact, inducted into the “church” as far back as the 1980’s.

It was during his marriage to his ex-wife, Mimi Rogers, that Cruise was first introduced to Scientology. There are several theories on how Tom Cruise was pulled into the “church”, some claim that Rogers’ father was responsible for Tom’s introduction, but as far as I have been able to find out, Mimi’s father was Jewish and it was, in fact, Mimi herself who led Cruise into Scientology.

Mimi was also responsible for the absorption of Sonny Bono and football player John Brodie into the ranks of celebrity Scientologists.

Tom Cruise publicises his beliefs as a Scientologist

For many years Tom pursued Scientology in private, his beliefs not leaking into the light of the public eye. This was at the behest of his long time publicist, Pat Kingsley, who feared that the “church” of Scientology’s controversial past would reflect badly on the public image he had worked hard with Tom Cruise to build.

In 1990, Tom Cruise Married Nicole Kidman in a Scientology ceremony (A fact which allowed Kidman the freedom to remarry later, as Scientology weddings are not recognised by the Catholic church). Two public figures could not possibly keep their weeding a secret from the media and Tom Cruise’s religious beliefs become public knowledge. However, still worreid about the damage this could do to his image his publicist downplayed the Scientology angle and the fact went largely unheeded by the public at large.

It was only in 2004, when Tom fired Kingley and hired his sister, an fellow Scientologist, to take over the role of PR person that Tom had finally dropped the veil and revealed, in full glory, his adherence to the practices promoted by Scientology founder, L Ron Hubbard.

Scientology and criticism of Tom Cruise

He’s a nutter. Let’s face it. Ever since he has gone all-out public with his confession of Scientology practice, Cruise’s behaviour has gone from bad to worse. We all know about the Oprah couch jumping incident, and his argument with host of the “today show” Matt Lauer not to mention the action taken against the channel 4 News team for this water pistol incident.

His image has suffered, but his weathering of the storm, no doubt, does him credit. The question is, how long can Tom Last? And, did the “church” of Scientology’s plan of using a high-profile star like Cruise to promote them backfire? Are his antics doing the organisation’s, already questionable, reputation more ham than good?

Scientology stands unique in the religious crowd as being the only religion to, on occasion,be referred to as a science. In fact, when the basis of Scientology, Dianetics, first arrived on the scene in 1950, it was declared by it’s creator, L Ron Hubbard as being a science.

“How can this be?” I hear you ask, “The very foundations of science and religion are so far removed from one another as to be in direct opposition and contradiction.”

Well, it all stems from hubbard’s greed, his desperation to make a success of his dianetics “therapy”.

Initially Hubbard claimed that Dianetics was an applied mental therapy, unlocking the secrets of the mind and, for the first time, exploring, scientifically, the wonders and benefits of drug-free mental health.

Dianetics’ shortfalls in this area were legion.

Despite printed claims to the contrary, Hubbard hadn’t put any actual research into the writing of his bestseller. He completed the book in the space of a month, a time period during which he couldn’t possibly have done the research his writings claimed, super Scientology powers or not. Without research, without test after test, after test Dianetics couldn’t honestly be called a science. The legal implications of this for the still-young belief system were paramount.

Hubbard had to solve two problems:

The dire financial straits he still found himself swamped in.

The lack of real public commitment/interest in his new “therapy”.

The “Religion angle” of Scientology

In 1953 Hubbard proposed giving his Dianetics practices a little more credence (and maybe drawing more attention) by stealing the term “Scientology” and applying it to the practice of Dianetics as a religious belief.

However Hubbard now tried to have it both ways. Not only had he decided to form a religion and label it Scientology, the foundation of which would be the practices of Dianetics, but he still considered his Dianetics “technologies” to be based in the world of science.

During the period between 1953 and 1962, after the inception of the “church” of Scientology, Hubbard is constantly quoted contradicting himself, sometimes saying Scientology is a religion (in an attempt to earn tax exemption) and other times stating that Scientology is irrefutably not a religion. One such quote is:

“Theta clearing is about as practical and simple as repairing a shoe
lace.  It is nothing to do with hypnotism, voodooism, charalatanism,
monkeyism or theosophy.  Done, the thetan can do anything a stage
magician can do in the way of moving objects around.  But this isn’t
attained by holding one’s breath or thinking right thoughts or voting
Republican or any other superstitous or mystic practice.  So for the
reason I brought up, rule out, auditor, any mumbo jumbo or mysticism,
spiritualism, or religion.”

Conversion of Scientology to a full-fledged religion

The conversion of Scientology into a full-fledged religion, really only began as recently as 1975. The FDA had refuted Hubbard’s claims that Dianetics and Scientology were, in anyway, scientific or medical. The treatments were expensive and offered no measurable results. The IRS was also investigating Scientology, from another angle, as Scientology was applying for religious status their financial statements were of utmost interest to the IRS.

Hubbard began giving his organisation a face-lift. He needed it to become recognised as a religion in order for it to be able to operate more freely.

In an attempt to change Scientology’s image he began calling his staff ministers, and had them wearing clerical collars, auditing became spiritual counseling, and the high price paid for this  spiritual counseling became a fixed donation.

Scientology’s eventual recognition as a church

It took 18 years, but at last, in 1993, the United States government finally granted Scientology recognition as a religion. However this did not grant the “church” of Scientology the coveted tax exemption it craved. Religious status did, however, pave the path for this. A path fully cleared by imaginative use of the legal system and a little bit of extortion.

The IRS versus the “church” of Scientology: the road to tax exemption

As reported in the Wall Street Journal, the IRS granted the “church” of Scientology the status of “Charitable Organisation” thus giving them the tax exemption they had so desperately sought. This one move reversed 30 years of legal precedent during which they IRS had tirelessly, and justifiably harassed Scientology.

Why the sudden change of heart?

The decision was made in a secret deal between the IRS and the “church” of Scientology. In return for granting them Charity status, the “church” of Scientology dropped the nearly 2000 lawsuits they had running against the IRS. Simply put, the IRS could no longer afford not to grant Scientology tax exemption.

How could the “church” afford constant legal battles that the IRS could not? The answer can be found by looking closely at the “religious” denomination of the lawyers in Scientology’s corner.