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Being neither a Scientologist nor an
anti-Scientologist, but an ex-Scientologist critical of Scientology and also
critical of the actual and potential abuses of the anti-cult movement, my
position may sometimes be confusing. I hope I can somewhat clarify it
through this page.
Notes:
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These represent only my opinion so just
take it as such, though I'll try to substantiate them as I can.
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Although I make a valid/invalid
distinction, nothing is black and white and each item may in fact be a
mixture of both - but one has to draw the line somewhere.
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I do not bother clearing basic concepts on this
page (Thetan, OT, sea Org etc.). I assume the reader is already familiar
with these, or else clear them up through a Scientology Glossary such as
this one.
Valid Criticism
Disconnection
Disconnection is one of the valid points of
critics, even though the way they present it is not always correct. Because Scientologists believe that to stay in close contact with
people who strongly disagree about Scientology is “dangerous” for their
own advancement on the “bridge”, they may “disconnect” from friends and
family members, even close ones. This is sad and objectionable. A good
illustration of disconnection among other things is the
story of
Sasha. It makes for a fascinating reading, but also illustrates the
fact that disconnection happens primarily because the belief is
ingrained in the cultic assertions of Scientology itself, and not necessarily because it is
forced upon members by the CoS. This is also why it sometimes remains a matter of
individual decision, as illustrated towards the end of the story where
one of Sasha's friends refuses to disconnect from him.
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Fair Game
Scientology indeed believes that people who criticizes
it only
do so because they have crimes they don’t want Scientology to find out
or because they are unduly influenced by such people.
Otherwise, why would anyone seek to undermine the “only hope for
Humanity”? The Fair Game policy is a brainchild of that mentality,
and canceling it because it creates bad PR does not change the mentality
itself. The only difference is that the CoS now harasses its critics as far as they
can legally get away with it. This is of course one of the valid
arguments of critics, even though they sometimes engage in wild
exaggerations about it and some of them even
manufacture harassments when they can’t
find enough to blame the CoS on.
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Indoctrination
I have done considerable work in the past to
combat the notion of brainwashing and cult mind-control because these
have been the conduit for gross abuses of basic human rights on the part
of the anti-cult movement, but I certainly do agree with the notion of
indoctrination. I am pleased to see that this, rather than mind-control,
is the term used by modern day critics nowadays. More than a superficial distinction between Scientology
beliefs and the CoS, one needs to make a distinction between Scientology
tenets and cultic assertions on the part of LRH. The two are very often
closely entangled in his writing. Because Scientologists value the
first, they often unconsciously buy the second with it. Ironically, LRH
himself describes this trap when he explains that an implant contains
theta, and it is the power of theta that hold the implant together. The
thetan cannot let go of the false ideas contained in it because he feels
that this is like letting go of the theta. In the same way,
Scientologists cannot let go of the cultic assertions contained in LRH
writtings because they are so entangled with the teachings themselves
that they feel this is like given up everything they valued in
Scientology thus far.
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Phony Church
I defended in the past the fact that Scientology
is a religion and the rights for its members to be protected against
religious discrimination. I still maintain that position. However, I do
believe that the church itself is a phony church, erected mostly to
benefit from tax exemptions and other advantages. I believe that most
rank and file Scientologists themselves do not like Scientology to be
presented as a church and I am convinced that once the concrete
advantages for being a church are removed, Scientology will promptly
re-define itself as an "applied religious philosophy" instead, which it
is. I am in fact in favor for all churches, not just the CoS, being
taxed in the same manner as any business are. Tax exemption is little
else than a mean for politicians to prevent churches getting involved in
politic, and the State should not have any business in the first place
taking on itself to try and define what is a true religious beliefs
worth of being tax exempt and what isn't.
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Mystery Sandwich
I have in the past objected to critics presenting
the Xenu story as the core belief of Scientology, when in fact 99% of
Scientologists don't even know about it. I have also objected to their
arguments that the science fiction nature of Scientology is only
revealed at this level, when it is in fact available right at the
beginning. And lastly, I have countered they arguments that hidden
scriptures are unique to Scientology. However, I have to agree with the
argument that the secret levels, and in particular OT III, is used as a
mystery sandwich to keep people on the Bridge. Not only that, it is also
used as a justification as to why people cannot get the results
promised. People will keep on the bridge in the hope that after OT III
their case will finally be resolved. When it still isn't, the
justification will be that they still have more BTs to be audited out,
and of course that there are still more levels above. However, the OT
III level is the major carrot that keeps people in Scientology,
precisely because the majority of them have not reached that level yet.
As to the argument that it is all crap, this is just a value judgment
and I have no opinion about that. That people stay in Scientology after
OT III shows that they don't find it that crap, and I don't accept the
justification that the reason is because they have been brainwashed to
accept it.
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Sea Org Abuses
There are basically three levels of involvement
in Scientology. As a public, as staff in an organization, and as a Sea
Org member. Most of the horror stories you will read about Scientology
usually involve the Sea Org. I believe many of the claims being made in
this context are true, and there are several reasons for this.
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Total Causation Philosophy -
Scientology believes that people, being powerful Thetans, are
capable of formidable feats when they can set the reactive mind
aside. This transpires through an impressive number of Scientology
concepts, such as The Necessity Level (example of a mother lifting
a car to save her baby), Tone 40 (total intention
displacing mountains), Confront, Postulates, The Only Way Out is Through,
Being at Cause, Make it Go Right, etc. See my page on
the Total
Causation Philosophy in Scientology. Many of the reported abuses find their root in this
basic Scientology concept, summarized by "THE SUPREME TEST OF A
THETAN IS THE ABILITY TO MAKE THINGS GO RIGHT".
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Messianic Zeal - The total causation
philosophy of Scientology combines perfectly with the absolute
dedication of the zealed member to The Cause. The lower the pay (ideally
working for free) and the harder the work (ideally 24 hours a day 7
days a week with no holidays), the better he will feel, because he
will feel that he is donating himself 100% to The Cause. He will
expect others to do the same.
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Over stressed - Having been myself a
staff member, I know that the workload is tremendous and that the
org is constantly under-staffed. I imagine that for the Sea Org it
would be the same. Add to this the stress of an hostile society.
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Cultic Assertions - The cultic assertions
spread throughout Hubbard's writing (SPs etc) will, in combination with the
points above, generate further abuses.
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Human Corruption - all the stupid
things people do when they have power over others.
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Non Transparent Justice System - An
absolute belief system such as Scientology cannot afford a
transparent justice system, and without this, the justice rendered
cannot be anything else than arbitrary and potentially abusive.
These are the six reasons why I believe many
life accounts of what happens in the Sea Org are credible. This does not
mean that we necessarily have to accept everything as true. There may
also be a fair amount of exaggerations and the entire
experience as related by apostates usually focus exclusively on the negative aspects, which gives an unfair and unreal picture of life in the Sea Org.
Claims of gross illegal abuses such as forcible restrain, torture or
killings are usually made up or distorted out of proportions from actual
events. For real stories of gross human rights abuses such as forcible
restrain and mental rape, check out what anticultists themselves did when
they went on kidnapping cult members and engaged in
forcible deprogramming.
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Money
There are two aspects to this: 1) the principle
of paying for spiritual benefits and 2) the price of services offered.
The first reason is one of the main reason I left Scientology. I came to
believe that real spiritual achievements cannot be had through
mechanical processes such as Scientology practices. This is one of the
reasons true spiritual Masters never ask for money, because true
spiritual achievements cannot be sold, can not be bought. Of course, if
you offer services, it may require money, but this needs to stay within
a reasonable range. In Scientology, services are extremely expensive.
One of the reasons advanced is that the spiritual benefit you will get
have no price. Another reason is that this constitutes a sort of
"natural selection" wherein the able is made more able and spiritual
benefits are dispensed to those who deserve them. I find these
rationalizations abhorrent. The combination of high price together with
absolute claims is a form of exploitation. I defended in the past that
Scientology is not a scam because a scam would require the scammers to
know that what they offer has no value, whereas it is obvious that the
leaders believe in their own stuff as the members do. I still maintain
that position. However, notwithstanding intent, considering that at the
end of the day you sell wind for a high price, using people's atavist
fears and hopes, it is a form of exploitation, even though I don't want
to call it a scam because this would amount blaming people who are
themselves victims.
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E-meter
The principle of the E-meter is quite sound. It
allows, supposedly, to objectively measure the mental masses making up
an "engram" and so aids in blowing them away through auditing. The
problem arises, however, when the e-meter is used in the context of an
absolute belief system such as Scientology where quite a few thoughts
are consider improper or even a crime. For example it is considered a
crime to think bad about the founder or his wife. In a "normal" belief
system you could privately entertain doubts. In Scientology, this isn't
possible because the e-meter will find it out, either through Sec Checks
or in session. In this respect and in such a context, the e-meter
becomes a sort of thought-control instrument. The problem of course is
not the e-meter itself, but the context in which it is being used. The
same could be said of many Scientology concepts themselves. While they
may be fine by themselves, the cultic assertions that are indissolubly
linked to through Hubbard's writings themselves is what makes the
problem.
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Suppresive Persons
In most cultic, black and white, groups there are
always "bad" guys. The bad guys myth helps assign blame to others for
what is the group's own failings, and it also helps boost the group's
cohesion. In anticult groups the bad guys are the psychopathic cult
leaders, OSA agents and "cult apologists". In Scientology, the bad guys
are evil psychiatrists, galactic overlords, and "suppressive persons".
The concept of suppressive persons is quickly extended in Scientology to
anybody who actively opposes Scientology, notwithstanding the fact that
they may have valid reasons to complain (as happens in anticult groups
as well). It is also used sometimes as a
justification of why someone can't get his stats up. An SP is "found"
and booted out to "resolve" the situation. Or it is used to "resolve"
difficult relationships, with its subsequent "disconnection" letters. In
other words, a fair amount of gross injustice, serious upsets, and
unnecessary drama are being created because of this concept. Obviously,
this only generates more angry reactions and just increases the tensions
and conflicts. Again, it isn't so much part of Scientology as it is part
of the cultic assertions made in Scientology texts. These assertions
really should be "purged" from the texts. However, because they are made
by the founder himself, who has closely knitted them in almost anything
he has written, the situation is hopeless and it is dooming Scientology
itself.
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Absolute Claims
Contrary to what critics say, many concepts in
Scientology are remarkably sound and some of the effect of auditing
truly powerful. The whole system is coherent to the point it forms a
belief system that can be used as a way of life, in other words a
philosophy, a religion, and many Scientologists use it that way. The
trouble with Scientology, however, is its absolute claims. It basically
claims that all religions are wrong, because they don't know of the
reactive mind. It even claims that some religions are in fact the
products of galactic implants and traps. It basically says that the
Thetan has dwindle down from its all-powerful state to the state where
he thinks he is a meat body, and that without Scientology the Thetan
will end up being trapped in just a stone. It says Scientology is the
only way out from this spiral, from a doomed vegetative future to a
bright and powerful future, where you can travel the universe and be
like gods. Contrary to other religions, it also claims to offer a
workable and a practical way of achieving this, and, as a bonus, you'll
also be successful and happy in this life. Now who could refuse that
offer if true?
Note also that it will not always starts right
off with such claims, and may often start with some practical steps to
help you out in life, just claiming it is a workable system that makes
the able more able. You'll only be led into that absolute belief as you
get more into Scientology and get indoctrinated in it.
It is very important to understand this absolute
mindset to understand the vehemence with which Scientologists will
defend their religion.
Now, of course, Scientology is not the only
religion to make absolute claims, and it is not the first religion to
defend its absolute belief through end-justifies-the-means objectionable
practices. As a matter of fact, what Scientology does in that respect is
pale compared to what other religions have done and still do in some
countries.
The trouble with those claims, however, on top of
leading to potential spiritual exploitation, is that the results just do
not live up to the claims being made. The concrete path of Scientology,
its main argument compared to other religions, is also its Achilles'
heel, which leads me to the next point.
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Workability
The worst criticism you can ever do towards
Scientology is the statement that it does not work. Why would anyone
spend a fair amount of money, time, effort, and squabbles with his
environment, if at the end of the day it just does not work? Critics
usually do not get too much into this because they are afraid they will
be tagged as criticizing beliefs, but I, as an ex-member, am entitled to
my opinion.
As I said above, Scientology can work at many
different levels and if people are happy with it, fine. I also agree
that Scientology processing can at times create stunning psychic or even
spiritual effects. But I also claim that it does not work as far as its
absolute claims are concerned, and, at the end of the day, these are the
most important ones.
Having been involved with Scientology for five years at the
local, European, and Word-Wide level, and having been in contact in the
subsequent 28 years with
ex-members and Freezoners, I have have been confirmed in what I
concluded leaving Scientology, that stable spiritual results cannot be achieved through
mechanical means such as Scientology procedures. Infinite results (true
spiritual freedom) cannot be achieved through finite, mechanical, means.
It is as simple as that. The results I have been given to witness, first
hand, second hand, and third hand, confirm me into this belief. Scientology procedures
can be one of the many conduits that may help spiritual awakening, if
applied intelligently and ethically, much like meditation can be, but
spiritual results are ultimately achieved through life only, whether one
uses Scientology techniques or not. It is in that sense that I claim
Scientology does not work, because it claims to "sell" spiritual states
that, almost by definition, it cannot deliver.
Fantastic descriptions of Clears have been made.
I claim that these are not true, and that Clears cannot live up to such
fantastic descriptions. Clears are basically people like you and me. The
same goes for OTs. They may have had fantastic experiences through
auditing, but when these wear out, they are no more and no less normal
beings as you and me are, with none of the fantastic powers attributed
to them. Many OTs think that others have these powers, that only they
don't, but they cannot discuss this with others because they are
forbidden to discuss their case out of session. The truth is that none
of them have such powers, at least no more than the powers they may
already have naturally. I believe cases such as
Ingo Swann
have more to do with their own natural ability than anything achieved by
Scientology.
Think about it. If only 1% of the fantastic
claims that has been made in Scientology were true, Scientology would
not be in the trouble it is today.
In my Skeptical enquiries when I was in Saint
Hill UK I have met a person who claimed to have reached through
Scientology a spiritual state known in Scientology as "Native State"
(this would be the original pristine and natural state of the Thetan,
something akin to Buddhists' Nirvana). I went to speak to her about my
doubts regarding Scientology because I have been impressed by the kind
of things she said, among which original spiritual precepts that were
not copycat of Elron. She claimed that all the processes in Scientology
are just a way to blow up charge until one reaches Native State, which
could happen at any stage. Well, this may or not be. You have to admit
that nobody knows the true end result of any religion. Will I go to hell
for not believing that Jesus died for my sins? Who knows... But
logically and ethically, it is a concept I do not accept, and on the
contrary I think it basically is a form of spiritual exploitation. The
same goes with Scientology. From a philosophical and logical point of
view, but also from the results I have seen, as well as from the ethical
questions raised by critics in their valid claims, I am of the opinion
that Scientology just does not work. And, as I said at the beginning, if
this is the case, then why bother?
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Invalid Criticism
Scientology Kills
Some critics would like to present the CoS as a
murderous and criminal syndicate that would go to any length in
defending its scam. They would also like to present Scientology
procedures as dangerous medical malpractices and mind-tempering
techniques. It simply isn't, and simple statistics of Scientology
practices over the last half century belie the horrendous assertions
these critics engage into.
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Scientology restrains members against their
will
The CoS would have plenty of opportunity to do
that. In the organization, in its RPF, in the Sea Org, in its remote
desert camps. Yet, it does not do it. There will always be some people
trying to claim they were physically restrained but most of the time
when you take a closer look at their claim you will see that it does not
live up to the definition of physical restrain. It just isn't a
Scientology practice even if life within the movement, with its assorted
conflict with critics, can be very rough. If you want to see real
clear-cut cases of physical restrains then check out what anticultists
themselves did when they kidnapped and
forcibly "deprogrammed" cult members by haranguing them night and day.
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Scientology wore down CAN through lawsuits
While it is true that Scientology filed loads of
suits against CAN, the real reason CAN was brought down was its close
ties with deprogrammers. CAN was the successor of CFF, itself the
successor of the organization that build up around Ted Patrick, who was
the first to go around kidnapping cult members. The new names the
organization went through did nothing to change the historical link it
had to deprogrammers until its last days. This was clearly proven in
courts, and confirmed by all the subsequent appeals CAN went through. I
personally witnessed how deprogrammers used CFF convention in 1987 to
actively recruit clients, and even Ted Patrick was present, freaking out
parents with tall tales. Critics however will still present Can demise as "an
organization trying to help parents of cult victims and ruthlessly
brought down through Scientology harassment", completely ignoring the
crimes that organization actively supported.
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Scientology is brainwashing,
Mind-Control
The concept of "cult mind-control" has been the
subject of considerable debates. So much so that critics nowadays are
hesitant to use it. They rather use "indoctrination", a concept with
which, by the way, I agree. The reason for the heated debates is because
the notion of mind-control was for a long time at the core of the
cult/anti-cult war and was used as a justification for kidnapping and
deprogramming cult members, as well as a justification for passing
discriminative and Big Brothers-type of laws. Many critics, however,
still believe in it.
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Cult Apologists
"Cult Apologists" is a term used by critics to
refer to independent observers who, they feel, are defending cults.
Anticultists are so convinced about their own rightness that they just
don't understand why anybody would do that. The only reason they can
conceive of is that they are either being bought by the cults, or are
crazy, or have some other unsavory motives. Being myself considered as a
"cult apologist", I have a sizeable collection of accusations that have
been hurled at me for taking the position I take. In reality, "cult
apologists" are most of the time people concerned about the type of
gross human rights abuses fanatical anticultists are able to justify in
their own eyes, and in the eyes of the public and authorities. The fact
that critics are unable to make the distinction between opposing actual
and potential abuses and defending cults is yet another illustration of
the type of cultic blindness they themselves are the victim of.
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Scientology is not a religion
--To be continued-- (March 15, 2008)
Scientology is a scam
Scientology killed Lisa McPherson
Charles Manson, proud Scientologist
Scientology kills pets
Xenu is the core belief of Scientology
RPF
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Links
Comment on article "'Moonlight' Star Thanks Scientology For Success"
- skip down to reach "dr3kisawesome" comment made of a loooong list
of claims, mostly myths. The one fitting reply to this was "You are a
fanatic".
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