Alex Gibney’s film, Going Clear, documents the horror of disconnection and how it is used as a control mechanism in scientology.
It is most dramatically demonstrated in his film with the story of Sara Goldberg. Her son Nick had a friend who was friends with me. Nick would not disconnect from his friend, so his mother was told to disconnect from her son. She was given an impossible choice — if she didn’t disconnect from him, she would be declared an SP and her daughter would be forced to disconnect from her. This is not a “personal choice” (as the church so often proclaims). Sara has the documents to prove that she begged to not be put in this impossible position. She also has a copy of the uncaring, inhumane response she received from the church. (This story was originally covered by Joe Childs in a lengthy article in the Tampa Bay Times).
So, why is this the topic of today’s post?
Because of the astonishing hypocrisy of the church and their “firmly held religious beliefs” (a catchphrase they use that they believe gives them a pass on any abuses they engage in).
Everyone knows Tom Cruise has NOT been forced to disconnect from either of his most recent wives — though neither support the church and both are certainly guilty of many high crimes in the eyes of Miscavige (primary being their refusal to kiss his shoes — like he makes Marc Yager, Guillaume Lesevre and Heber Jentzsch do. Literally).
Of course, “firmly held religious beliefs” are only firm unless they impact the public image of Miscavige. A blind eye should be one of the symbols Miscavige wears on his third world dictator style medals and ribbons adorning his Captain’s uniform.
When it is convenient, the blind eye is turned.
So, what brought this to the fore once more?
A photo in the UK Daily Mail :
The gentleman circled in red is David Lopez. JLo’s father.
Of course, that is JLo with her BFF, the super SP, Leah Remini about to get in the car after a premiere in Los Angeles. This is not just a random crowd shot. David is part of the entourage leaving the premiere — the guy in the sunglasses to his right is holding JLo’s son. JLo and Leah hang out regularly. David would not have been unaware that Leah would be attending this event. Neither the church nor David are unaware that JLo is best friends with Leah, a major SP.
David Lopez has been on lines at Celebrity Centre International for 20 years or so. He is reported to be an active scientologist currently.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with that. I suspect JLo’s friendship with Leah has absolutely no impact on his activities in the church. And frankly, that is how it should be.
So, why is the rule different for him than for Sara Goldberg and thousands of others? In fact, Sara Goldberg’s son was one step removed from this scenario — he was friends with someone who was friends with me. David Lopez’ daughter is best friends with a dyed-in-the-wool 2 1/2 percenter who called the police and filed a missing person report about Shelly Miscavige OMG.
The answer is simple: “Flap potential.”
Can you imagine if JLo’s father was forced to disconnect from his daughter because of who her friends are? The outrage it would generate against scientology…. So long as they think their actions will not become broad public knowledge, they enforce them ruthlessly with full “KSW.”.
But their “firmly held” religious beliefs and cold chrome steel KSWiness are only firm to the extent they are convenient and don’t cause media backlash.
It’s just like the firmly held religious belief presented to the IRS “We give refunds to dissatisfied people because exchange is a fundamental tenet of our religion and we believe it would be “spiritually harmful” to the church to keep money without any exchange.” That one was thrown out the window the minute the ink was dry on the final capitulation of the IRS. This can be found in the IRS record. Here is part of the statement:
“The Church’s refund policy is exceedingly fair. If someone isn’t happy with Scientology – which is a very small minority of people – he simply has to make a proper request for his donations back, agree to forego further services and his donations will be returned. For the Church, in addition to the fact that this policy aligns with Scientology principles of exchange, it also serves the purpose of allowing our churches and parishioners who are very happy with Scientology, to carry on without the unhappy few in our midst.”
Riiight. Tell that to the Garcia’s and all the others who have been refused return of their money.
Scientology is two faced — what they tell the world and the reality. Rarely do those two faces look the same.
This double standard is something that has always bothered me. Did Priscilla Presley have to disconnect from Lisa Marie? And can you imagine if Cruise was ordered no further contact with Suri? So unfair that the standard is full disconnection, unless you are rich and famous, and then not so much.
The application of policy is directly proportional to the bank balance of the parishioner.
As always, very very good review Mr. Rinder.
AQ,
I think that calling church members who do get “something” out of Scio names like “bubble dwellers” “clubbed seals” “hubturd” and other derogatory terms are “haters”.
Mike woud not post my reply of last nite, at least Marty always posts my stuff.
I believe that the actual term is Hubtard not Hubturd in reference to the deluded beliefs.
That’s amazing, JL. I know a couple who have given a ton of money to a Catholic prep school which has an adjunct girl’s high school prep. He was valedictorian of his class but she dropped out when she was 16. Last year they were honored as role models etc. by this school. A big banquet, speeches in their honor Its so funny because she’s a high school dropout and never even got her GED afterwards. I didn’t attend so I’m not sure how this outpoint was handled. Money sure does talk and justice sure does walk when it comes to organized religion.
Perfect example Aqua. When a religion “organizes” its expenses jump way up. That puts them on that path…
This is SOP for many religions when dealing with the rich and famous. The Catholic church being a better example than Scientology. Per church doctrine none of the politicians who support abortion can take communion. (as just one example) The church allows them to because they give tons of money to the church.
Welcome to the real world where the “Golden Rule” rules…
Just in general and off topic, I like this blog so much. it’s real. The commenters don’t seem to be delusional and therefore it’s sane. That’s how I perceive it anyway.
I like Mark (Marty)’s blog, too. As I do Tony Ortega’s.
All three deal in facts and not fiction. I’m from South Africa this is so refreshing for me.
I’m sure I speak for nearly everyone and that is: Great work Mike. Thanks for going to so much trouble so regularly to keep us in the loop.
I really really wish they would force him to disconnect from JLo, then they will really see what black PR really is, but they are not stupid to that point, they wont do it, they know they dealing with a lionesses that won’t stop till they really learn their lesson, but it does shows the HIPOCRASSY of it all. And my sympathy to Sarah Goldberd, hope one day this cult will be dismantled so she can see her loved ones once again.
Do you know if the documental “going to clear” will be watch in Mexico also at 29 march?
If so, do you know if it will be translated or subtitled??
After the twenty ninth, I think the CO$ stats are gonna drop like a pederasts pants at a boy scout convention. Just sayin.
That is hideously funny 🙂
I love your blog Mike. You are, figuratively speaking, just lobbing one hand grenade after another into the cult’s stronghold. It really does suck to be Miscavige.
OMG!! Great news to Mike and ALL SPs!! My friend just pointed out to me that their creepy videos about each person in the documentary is GONE from GOOGLE. I checked: He’s right! Here’s my post on FB:
Hollllllllly Sheet!! Social Media Rocks C of $’s world, again. They ($cientology) took down ALL of their
creepy videos filled with lies about each person and then some, as well
as Alex Gibney and Lawrence Wright! Keep up the great work, one and ALL! Thank you to Tony and ALL here, too!! Thursday at 2:00? Freedom Magazine (really FreeDUMB magazine) has now proven “SPs RULE” 🙂 Love to ALL! Tory/Magoo
I just looked and the Scientology ad is still running on Google.
http://www.lawrencewrightgoingclear.com/hbo/videos/alex-gibney-doctor-of-propaganda.html?source=gaw#.VRNi_PnF_To
I just typed in the name of the documentary and Scientology’s ad was the first thing that shows up.
PS: And for the record, we sorted this out over on Tony’s Site: Yes….as of yesterday if you typed in
“Going Clear” the #1 site in Google was $cientology’s “Freedom magazine” and all of their creepy
videos. They’re still on that site, but they changed the front page now so it’s not so obvious.
Also, in Google, now “Going Clear” sites come up about the documentary first, not $S’s FM barf site.
All good news: They are melting D O W N. 🙂
Really good news, Tory. I’m off to check it out.
Now worries, it is really simple and there is one single rule in the CO$.
“Justice is done when the outcome is influenced in a way that benefits the CO$.”
So really you got screwed over in a WISE cycle? Well, the other guy donated more to the IAS so it is obviously justice by above rule to screw you royally. So shut up before you get declared and we ruin your business with disconnection.
We took your money for prepaid services? Jeeh clearly by the above rule it would not be justice if we paid you back! There is no benefit for the CO$ in it.
You have something critical of Scientology in your family? Get rid of him/her so he does not spoil others, unless that could give us in the CO$ a considerable amount of grief through exposure, in that case you better stay in contact.
It appears almost any situation with the CO$ can be explained by their simple justice rule.
There is no blind eye turned, it is all clear cut and logical. Hey you guys on the fence: How much did you say you want to donate to be on the right side of the equation?
Marty has said for a long time that Scientology needs a Reformation. They need more than that. They need a Magna Carta in order to learn about things like civil liberties and equality under the law (even if it’s their own law).
And as long as we’re being historical…Dave, please look up exactly what believing in the Divine Right Of Kings got Charles I and Louis XVI.
Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.
It does not take a rocket scientist to know that if the CofS did not have money to fight back with, it would have been destroyed 50 years ago by those who wish to destroy it. LRH knew that a workable, easily understood application of his brilliant discoveries, along with lots of money to fight back with, and hard work and dedication by its supporters is what will win the day – Scientology will be victorious.. because it WORKS in practice; and is getting more powerful and influential with each passing year. Haters are haters.
There will always be condescending, judgmental haters in the world who under the guise of “help” are only trying to do GOOD, as they believe that ONLY they “know best”. How can you say that you “LOVE your family” when you JUDGE and HATE something that gives them “solice” and purpose. Its their life, get your own life!!! If Scientology is not for you, no problem – carry on! But keep your nose, your condescending, feel good opinions and judgments out of any adult persons business. Not cool, by any standard. Do an honest days work for an honest day’s pay and things will get better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uSA1o07jx0
Beastie, It’s hard to satire Scientology. What kind of exaggeration can you come up with to trump the real thing? But, I think you’ve come close. Congratulations.
Beastie, if you really believe what you just wrote. Just answer one honest question. If you are correct about LRH’s discoveries being brilliant and workable, easily understood and applied, why the heck will it need money and hard work and dedication to win the day?
Now don’t avoid the question by give me the “haters are haters” phrase which is just what it is a stupid phrase to make you stop thinking.
I mean there are iPhone haters and yet it has been embraced by millions, because it is brilliant, workable and easily usable. It made its company the richest company in the world.
There are thousands of examples where something brilliant workable made it from zero on its own merits.
So why is that not working for Scientology? (as it obviously not is, given your admission it needs money, dedication and hard work so it survives.)
And how in hell do you see Scientology getting more powerful and influential each passing year? I mean you and your other church members are in hiding. When you advertise you hide the name Scientology in Craigs List ads. Scientologist are afraid to say they are Scientologists because they then they will be assessed as whack jobs, so they hide it. Where I live 90% of the remaining Scientologists are in hiding removing any sign of being Scientologist like stickers at their cars. Can you think for one moment with the option, that this may not because wogs are so wrong and stupid, but maybe some of your premises are far off base?
Tom Cruise a decade or so ago was one of the most powerful people in the Entertainment industry, now he is a joke that can’t even promote his movies because he is afraid being asked how his wife took his kid and ran, or how he dated and then tolerated abuses on another women and on and on. Let us not get started on John Travolta a nice guy being viewed as the jester at Hollywood events.
Really? You see growing power and influence in all that?
The facts are Scientology makes enemies every year in growing numbers, by its arrogance and stupidity alone. The same you displayed in the second paragraph of your post.
Beastie,
Your reasoning is specious. It sounds good but its actually quite outpointy because you’re conflating the philosophy of Scientology with the abuses being perpetrated by the “church”.
With your logic, the Catholic Church with all its viable charities and decent, caring, helpful priests and nuns is also the Inquisition and the Crusades and most recently, the pedophile priests, and if you cry out against the abuses, well, you’re a Catholic Hater, that’s all, because there is no difference between the Catholic philosophy and scripture and these abuses.
To avoid being a “hater” of the Church of England, you’d have to think it was just swell that its Founder, Henry VIII chopped off the heads of 2 of his 6 wives.
With your logic, the Salem Witch Trials in early colonial America would have to be approved of, because to criticize those practices would make you a Protestant Hater.
Honestly, Beastie, come on! Get a grip, and make some DISTINCTIONS between things, OK?
Every major religion that exists today had to ELIMINATE FROM ITS AGENDA its atrocities, cruelties, its abuses and greed, or it wouldn’t have survived.
The Church of Scientology is no exception. To survive in any form it will have to at the very least eliminate Fair Game and Disconnection, for these are toxic policies, and it matters not whether David Miscavige has misinterpreted LRH and is applying them wrongly for his own selfish ends or whether they as LRH’s creation are being applied by Miscavige exactly as L.Ron Hubbard always intended. It matter NOT.
These policies are TOXIC, they are cruel, they hurt people, they KILL people. They have to go.
And, indeed they will go. There’s an inevitability to this, Beastie. Read your history of the world’s religions and what happened to them when they refused to abandon their toxic policies and cruel practices.
The Church of Scientology will either reform in some way or it is doomed.
Excellent response Aquamarine. I hope Beatie gets it.
When I did LOC, one of my big cognitions was that with the Sea Org, with its prohibition against having children, had a huge block on its 2nd dynamic. At the time I was a clueless, devoted koolaid drinker and I wondered how/why LRH hadn’t seen that. (This was one win that I didn’t write up but I shared it with my twin. We both wondered about it.) Years later when I started having my doubts and reading the blogs I found out that the ban on having kids occurred after LRH’s death. I was relieved to find out that LRH was not responsible for that.
OK, now you can say that the Catholic Church has to date forbidden its clergy from marrying and having children, but then, strict Catholicism forbids premarital sex, strongly encourages marriage and procreation, forbids divorce, and forbids birth control, all of which ensured that for centuries lots and lots of new Catholics got made which more than made up for the ban on marriage and children for the clergy.
In fact, I have to say, that over-all, Catholicism has had good, long-term survival policies. With land acquired and continually amassing from priests from wealthy families who die and leave all their property to the church on the one hand, and the ban on birth control, ban on divorce and the blessing the church has given for having lots of kids on the other hand, itsa pretty good expansion formula. I’m not a Catholic, btw., I’m not any religion – religion per se is not for me. I’m just looking at it the scene with an objective eye and IMO, now that they’ve cut out the abberated harmful stuff and cleaned house, so to speak, and so long as they keep the house fairly clean, it can easily last forever. Just saying.
What a well thought out and reasoned reply, Aquamarine. I loved your analogies. So true.
The Scientology Cabal applied the same type of pressure on my family. The triangle involved was me, my sister and our mother who had already left the church. Very similar scenario. Only difference was the Truth Rundown in the St Pete Times exposed enough of the corruption at the top whereby my sister decided to leave the cult. A success story for sure. Other families weren’t so lucky. There are so many others, including Lori Hodgson who still need resolution. May the light shine on ever brightly exposing the abuses of David Miscavige.
The universe does not favour the greedy, the dishonest, the vicious, although on the mere surface it may sometimes appear to do so; it helps the honest, the magnanimous, the virtuous.
I don’t understand why JLo or her father are not being pressured by the press or the ex-scientology community to comment on Going Clear and/or Scientology’s policies. No one is calling for JLo’s dad to comment on why he is being allowed to stay tangentially connected to Leah Remini or for JLo to comment on her father being a member of scientology or the problems her friend has had with scientology. I remember when Mel Gibson was in the public eye, he used to be called out for his father’s crazy views. I understand the pressure on Tom Cruise and John Travolta for being members, but ratchet up the pressure on JLo for a response as well.
It may be a bit much to ask to expect that the popular press would pursue the JLo father story. He’s not famous in his on right. It’s not like he’s so obviously despicable in an easy to understand way, like Mel Gibson’s father. What’s the headline? “JLo’s father still talks to her!” The stuff that gets talked about around here — the hypocrisy — is too subtle for the mass audience, not steeped in Scilon Studies, to grapple with.
Good Grief! Another example of the indignity and injustices of corporate $cientology is once again portrayed across the communication lines of the world. It is now a daily occurrence, staggering, absolutely staggering at the consistency of such abuses against common decency and mankind!
For any past Scientologist it shouldn’t take anything more than a cursory glance to see and understand the brutal school yard bulling tactics of a 2.5% suppressive and spot them as belonging to miscavige and see that his followers are very much emulating him. For the general public it must surely must be filtering through now, the celebrities they know and love are being treated like garbage, but not all celebrities apparently, there’s a pecking order of treatment which makes it even more disgusting.
I have not seen the HBO documentary yet but I can draw on real life circumstances to known the rage and yearning for revenge when people are savagely torn from their families, and to witness it with undeniable evidence makes it heart wrenching that it is allowed to continue. Of all the emotions none is more heartfelt or brings instant thoughts of justice and revenge than the mistreatment of children. To come to the defence of children in distress is one of the most fundamental reactions in the name of justice or righteousness. Yet in the name of religion the abuse of families is most rampart. The evidence of forced disconnection in $cientology is overwhelming and the exposure of sexual, mental and physical abuse in many other forms of institutional religion is mind numbing. It is an interesting but disturbing question on what does it take for people to wake up and do something something about it? What is wrong with us as civilised people to be so blind and ignorant? I guess the same reason a Bishop or Cardinal is allowed to divert or avoid their responsibility for the humane treatment of people in the charge is evident to allow people like Tom Cruise to avoid the ‘standard treatment’ of the more lowly people in the same “thought set.”
But in this circumstance the more and more exposure it gets the better. You bear the responsibility well Mike (I for one don’t envy the amount of time you must spend on this) and the company you keep to illicit change is indeed right up there in the ability to get a message out there, HBO and world class authors and film makers no less.
But in the end, it’s the duty of us all to do what we can to end the abuses.
Mike, unfortunately this is the kind of picture that the Church will use to spin their side of the story claiming “you see we don’t make people disconnect from friends and family, it is an individual choice”.
Despicable it’s all despicable.
Then after Mein Heir is gone, they need to throw a big party and invite all the SP’s and their families, all the people who were disconnected from their family and friends, refund all monies owed, readjust prices, (if there is still a church), pay the IRS taxes when they show up and then…………..
Donate to worthy causes, get out of education unless you hire qualified teachers and teach state curriculum, hire qualied medical staff, provide insurances for all employees anc then the hirearchy that is left should get down on their knees and BEG FORGIVENESS!!!!!!!
And don’t forget back pay for staff and Sea Org — at least minimum wage (or more).
It’s weird to think that Leah Remini is good friends with JLo who was/is a judge on American Idol with Keith Urban (judge also), and he’s married to Nicole Kidman. I guess you don’t even need 6 degrees when it comes to Hollywood.
Well the elephant is getting much to big to ignore any longer. I’m so happy to see more and more people courageously stepping out to tell their horror stories so that $cien will be stomped in the neck so hard and so fast, Miscavige won’t know what hit him. Watching the anti-$cien blogs as all these brave souls that have determined to tell the truth and come up with the strength to be able to expose their pain to the world, is a beautiful thing and I am deeply touched by all of it. I’m so glad I’m and able to witness this astounding even in history. Today is a great day, I will never forget.
Celebrities love preferential treatment, hence the popularity of Scientology among celebrities. But even they can’t get any new people into the cult.
I am sure TC and JT and all the other celebrites know exaclty what is going on. I am sure they know of the abuses, the starvation, the poverty and I think as long as they are not confronted they will continue on their merry way. We have sadly made these people royality of sorts and unaccountable.
If they truly cared about their “fans”, they would out the dictator, replace him and do something worthwhile, like get a new leader. I hope the film nails the last nails in the coffin of Dave Mickmeanie. May Karma come and find him quickly.
I’m reading the book “Going Clear” and last read the part about how Tom Cruise was impressed with the cleaning standard in Miscavige’s living quarters. The light bulbs are regularly polished and Tom thought this was great and wanted the same level of cleaning done at his home. It was supplied to him by Sea Org members, at no cost.
This left me wondering why did Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, his wife at the time, think that they were entitled to free household labor? Didn’t they see anything wrong with this? In the real world, one expects to pay people for the services they provide you. Especially those who take care of personal things for you like housekeeping or childcare.
Even if it was Sea Org members who probably wouldn’t have been allowed to take money from them for doing household work, why would Mr and Mrs Cruise accept such services from any Sea Org member? A person doesn’t join the Sea Org to polish a celeb’s light bulbs after all.
A person should be concerned about this and want to take care of those who take care of them. They both seem like nice, decent people. It’s a little baffling to me and really only either Tom or Nicole could answer for it.
Hi Pepper, Thank you for your post. I am an oldie now but I can tell you when I was SO @ Asho Fdn, we never would have polished any celebrity’s light bulbs. The SO members that do that today are not the team I knew. In fact only once was I told to do a survey @ CC, when it was not located @ Fifield Manor that was were FOLO was & we called it The Hotel Org back then. When I went to the old CC to do this survey I was told not to go in SO uniform because that would scare the celebrities a& do not do the survey if John Travolta approached because he would be upset. I knew Ron always wanted celebrities to gravitate to the COS for services but I am one being who has never been blinded by their light,so I really got nothing from my trip to CC back then. What haunts me still, I could not have kids because of a medical problem long after I blew The SO was that ASHO FDN was called to clean the old Children’s Org one day. I literally spent 14 hours cleaning that place. I still feel I should have realized what was going down, that the children of SO members were in that situation.It was only after much abuse concerning ths GOI, that I realized I had to leave.Those that have never been in I understand that it is hard to understand this. But on Mike’s blog we can speak the Truth about what happened to us all.Thank you Mike & all of you who keep pushing back against what claws lie beneath the COS.In Truth, Ann Watson.
Hi Pepper, it was Katie that he was married to at the time.
Good points, Mike.
Discrimination = Discrimination = Discrimination.
What do people not understand about this and the acts of the so-called church!
Of course it’s “flap potential”! JLo is an international star who is not to be trifled with. The church would never go to her father and tell him that he has to disconnect from his famous daughter because she’s best friends with Leah Remini. Jennifer made it very clear where she stands with Leah when she appeared on Dancing With The Stars and helped coach Leah for her dance. This was aired in Leah’s segment on the show and happened very quickly after Leah publicly left the church. JLo let it be known on national television that she is a steadfast friend and this is commendable.
The CoS cares about only two things: Money and it’s PR (so it can still get money from people). The church is concerned with saving it’s own skin in the David Lopez matter, plain and simple.
Miscavige must be kicking himself about Leah Remick.
For JLo to state those things about scientology and her friend on the Ellen Show and Stricly Come Dancing, two huge shows watched by milions (We get both these shows here in South Africa!), is a disaster of some proportion for the Little Madman.
He miscalculated and I’m sure someone in his vicinity got viciously punched and spat on. I can’t wait to see it – the fallout, that is, from the HBO movie, Ellen’s Show and the Dance Show.
It’s fun watching these loony Scientology crooks shitting themselves and getting ever more loony as Going Clear draws closer to its HBO release. Their insane Twitter postings and bizarre advertising is making more people want to watch the documentary, and informing more people about the documentary than HBO could have done.
The IQ of the criminal mind is amusing and freakish to watch.
Gasoline on the fire.
One thing that Miscavige must be really scared about is the international scope of the HBO doc.
He knows that it’s going to cut across the dissem in Asia and East Europe.
The US is a lost cause, and the only thing that means anything for him are the US whales.
That too is at big risk.
Watching the fallout is going to be fascinating.
Absolutely! This is documentary is going to go viral across the planet! It’s going to do an explosive job of blowing the cult apart. If you’re ever close to Int and the wind is just right, you may hear the clown dwarf whining…
Slow motion train wreck, providing hours and hours and hours of delicious entertainment.
Shame shame, Mike. You FORGOT (and you rarely do that) ONE MAJOR point above: JLo was on the Ellen Degeneras show OPENLY talking about the horrors of what her friend has had to go through with the the Scientology’s policy of Disconnection and how she (JLo) has had her (Leah Remini’s) back and is supporting her (Leah Remini, the SP). That ONE act of JLo (and I’m sure there were more demonstrations of her loyalty) did FAR MORE DAMAGE than anything I did to get declared (read books, articles and call David Miscavige a sociopath, with a pledge to shut up if they would just not declare me and take my family) and lose my son and go through the living hell the effing “church” put me through for about two years while the “church” held hostage my son and husband with ultimatums of “Handle” or Disconnect from me or get declared yourselves.
So, just wanted to tell you, Mike; you missed something. 🙂
I stand corrected and ashamed…. 🙂
I’m with you McCarran. I didn’t do anything other than read blogs. I didn’t even speak out. (at least not in the beginning I didn’t.) So I lost my kids just for reading blogs. I wasn’t even called in for a Com Ev. The fact that my kids were on staff and my son was being recruited for Gold made them just do an immediate knee-jerk declare without even calling me in for a Com Ev. (Not that I would have gone in for a kangaroo court anyway.) And back then I wasn’t talking about any of it to anyone. It was only AFTER they took my kids that I got vocal.
Well, Cindy, the church and David Miscavige did learn that when they declare people like us, they created some really mad mammas that then become friends with Mike Rinder and many other great SP’s and went on a rampage to stop this church and its abuses.
Now “they” don’t declare people that did what we did. They Dead File people like us. They can’t afford any more mad mammas.
This is a very good point! I think that is the subject of a whole post. All of these celebrities who get to hide in the shadows and go along with business as usual…while your whole family is torn apart. I don’t think they should be attacked… just put on the hot seat to explain themselves. At least to make it clear to the public and the Scions still on the fence.
Wow McCarran, I didn’t know that Jennifer talked about this on the Ellen Show (probably because I don’t watch it). I’m going to look it up and see if I can watch that segment. Thanks for that.
here is segment
http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/2014/03/21/jennifer-lopez-bff-leah-remini-scientology-exit/3uEWc8NtnwV6umig2Msw5K/video.html
Thanks Robert.
I met David Lopez many years ago when I was in. I didn’t know who he was, except the staff sure did so eventually I found it, as he got the red carpet treatment. Plus he looks just like his daughter. He was a very nice man, on Solo 1, I think. This was 11 or 12 years ago.
Shortly after Lisa Marie Presley came out with her tune “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet,” which was an obvious FU to the COS (and I would have to imagine qualified as a public departure which I understand is a “high crime”), I stopped by The Roxy in West Hollywood to see her perform. Sure enough mom Priscilla was in the VIP section with some other friends including at least one other Scientologist. Her one comment as she introduced the tune was simply to note the tune had caused some discussion but she wasn’t going to say anything about that. It’s actually a pretty decent tune in its own right. In case you haven’t heard it you can search the title on Youtube or maybe this link will get you there directly (don’t know if I can post links here): https://youtu.be/Bpn9daBzjIs
Yes. Priscilla Presley is another one who should be put in the ring with TC, JT and JLo’s dad. Front and center. Big lights. What’s that about? How come they get to stay in touch with their families?
“How come they get to stay in touch with their families?”
They just simply DO. While common church folk are so PTS to the church, they can’t fart without having a missed withhold. So, why don’t they simply decide they are going to see their family? Ultimately, it is their fault; why allow an outside agency to meddle with their family and rip them apart? It’s time for all of them to stand up and give the church a big FUCK YOU!
The many-layered nature of scientology gives it many faces. A smiling face, but as it turns gradually to face in the opposite direction that smile changes until it has become a sneer of contempt.
Like David Miscavige’s chronic facial expression.
If a Scientologist regards the disconnection policy (and how it’s applied at Flag) as “standard” or in keeping with “KSW” , then the matter of Jennifer Lopez not being disconnected from her Scientologist father David Lopez, is an example of out tech and out ethics. Therefore in keeping with this logic, every in-ethics Scientologist should write KR’s on David Lopez for his association with an SP. And Jennifer Lopez IS an SP, because per policy she is supporting a declared SP of the church by remaining in communication with her. (After all that is “lending support” to the “enemy”.) So by my count, not only should David Lopez get declared but so should Jennifer Lopez. From the viewpoint of a Flag MAA this is SUPPRESSIVE REASONABLENESS.
THIS IS WHAT FLAG MAA’S HAVE BEEN TELLING PEOPLE. David Lopez and ALL OF HIS LIVING RELATIVES, not even excluding neighbors and friends and business associates, should IMMEDIATELY be hatted on PTS SP tech. Their SURVIVAL depends on knowing this valuable tech, because by virtue of association with David Lopez. NO MATTER HOW EXTENDED, they ARE PTS. (this what a Flag MAA actually told me) And ANYONE even remotely connected to Leah Remini is NOW totally PTS and rollercoastering in life. It is the hat of a Scientologist to enlighten them about their dilemma.
A Flag MAA will look you in the eye with a fixed glare and tight lipped and say “that is the LRH on this matter” “We have the OT levels to protect” and…”you don’t have the correct viewpoint” And if you don’t agree with this nonsense, then you “are not Flag public”. (God forbid you put money on account there)
So if one of Jennifer Lopez’s dancers walks into a church of Scientology, they would eventually be regarded as PTS until that person disconnected from Jennifer Lopez. So according to the MAA’s, the “kindest” thing one can do to an SP is declare them, because then they will “cognite” as to their actual condition and actions as a being and start moving upwards from there. Everything I have written here is based on actual handlings that I received from ethics terminals at Flag. And since Tom Cruise is “connected” to Katie via Suri, every concerned Scientologist should write up Tom as well. Madness.
I agree!! You said this far more eloquently than I did or ever could have. JLo’s father knows exactly what he’s doing. How duplicitous the whole thing is. And he obviously talks to Leah. They don’t all go out together to a premiere and he ignore Leah. They chat over dinner, in the back seat of the limo, over JLo’s child… they are all hanging out together. So big daddy Lopez DOES deserve to be called out…just like Tom Cruise and John Travolta. Let him feel the squeeze. Let JLo feel the squeeze.
Doug – you are spot on, that is the ‘tech’ and ‘ethics’ that the rest of us would be subjected too but obviously not the “special” people.
Zana – you are also spot on. Daddy Lopez is so duplicitous it makes me sick and should be called out like the others. Frankly I don’t know how Leah can even stand being in the same room with him or talking with him if she does.
I don’t know if we have enough data to determine what JLo’s ethics status would be. First, was she ever a member of the church? Has she done any services? If not, then she is simply PTS to Leah, and David would be connected to a PTS, that is not an offence.
However, if JLo was/is a member the church would claim jurisdiction and toss her into the Scn Justice Thrasher. Obviously she is guilty of cavorting with the enemy. In which case David would have to Handle or Disconnect (read disconnect).
For sure, celebs are treated differently. They are allowed to dabble in Scn and quietly drop out without declares and ethics orders.
What celebs have that you and I don’t is the ability to attract attention of the media. This scares the shit out of OSA.
When I resigned from the church I was asked if there was anything else I wanted to say. I suppressed a smile and said, “I fully expect to receive the same treatment afforded Katie Holmes.”
Even if she never had anything to do with the church…her father still is in the church and he should have disconnected from her by now, only because she is aligning herself with a known SP. Instead of disconnecting from his daughter…he’s going out to premieres with both of them, hanging out and chatting. JLo doesn’t have to be a Scientologist for him to be required to disconnect from her. However, she IS a celebrity. That’s the duplicitous part of this.
“So according to the MAA’s, the “kindest” thing one can do to an SP is declare them, because then they will “cognite” as to their actual condition and actions as a being and start moving upwards from there.”
Unfortuantely, this datum by Mr. Hubbard is simply not factual. I personally, in writing, wrote an SP declare on david miscavige and he hasn’t reformed one iota.
LDW, THANK YOU for writing that SP declare on Captain David Miscavige. If it’s the declare I’m thinking of, it was very thorough. Do you have a link to it? I’m not sure that datum ever came from Hubbard or not. But it came out of the mouth of an MAA at Tampa Org. German gal. Nice. In her 60’s, forget her name. But DELUSIONAL. I swear I saw Kathy True’s eyeballs spinning inside her head while she was frothing at the mouth telling me how my mother was ****THE ENEMY***** because she had a PHD in Psychology. THE ENEMY !!! (lol) Point being, my mother was 83, just got through treatment for breast cancer, going half blind and both of her kids had disconnected from her AGAIN. (Yeah we were nuts in the 80’s for awhile) and these officials from the “CHURCH” of Scientology were advocating that my mother was better off dying alone somewhere totally abandoned by all of her remaining family. This story has been repeated over and over and over again. I stopped telling it when I realized I was among many. It is why I refer to them as morally bankrupt heartless criminals. If there was a special jail somewhere, these staff members would have rapists thieves and molesters as cell mates I shit you not. (Sorry for my rant)
I always feel so much pride in you, Doug, when you tell your story and I know you did not disconnect from your mom and I know you were there with her and for her in the end and I am so happy about that. The church did not win in your case. I am so happy for your mom that she had you in her life.
Back in the ’80s when asking for my $300 balance on account and I was given with hardly any problem. Little did I realize that it was because I was connected to a major SP who I married and had guts to stand up to them if provoked. They did not want my background, or more of his, told to the press. Which worked actually. 2 men told me outside the door of Fort Harrison, that I would lose eternity and any chance to go free, before they handed me the check. I told them all was available on the outside. They held no carrot for me then and I was scared, but got my money.
After my husband died they contacted me late 2010 and I went back for a year, (yes, they let me back in for same reason as they gave the money back, plus more $) bought some merchandise but put no monies on account. Didn’t take me long to see the lies they told me and experience what this organization was really about. Then, thanks to Debbie Cook’s letter, I got on the internet and it answered all my questions, opened my eyes to their lies and found some real friends.
Yes, they handle people differently to keep their own ass safe, since that’s all they care about.
They also handle people differently if they have money. Conce ase in point: I know a Scn who was an illegal pc for decades. Decades. She was illegal because she had once worked for a psychiatric hospital where shock treatments etc were given, but that was many years before that. So she petitioned and tried her best to get her OT Levels, but to no avail. Fast forward over 30 years later, she gets a big inheritance. All of a sudden the church kisses her butt and says it was all an arbitrary and come on in and get auditing. They fleeced her for lots of reviews and NOTS and last I heard she was on the last step of OT VI, soon to be on OT VII after being denied that for decades. They saw the money and all rules were thrown aside. As a side note, her husband wanted to divorce her after many years of a bad marriage and they separated for a year or two. But when he saw the inheritance, all of a sudden he wanted to reconcile and so he came back to her and they are together now. Money may not buy happiness, but in her case it bought her legality I the church’s yes, her OT Levels, and her errant husband.
Oh that wouldn’t be the first or last time that ever happened Cindy! Money talks in the church.
Of course it’s all about the money! Nothing else! Just money. You only have one mortgage? Take out a second and give us THE MONEY. You have a second on your home? Take a out a third and give us THE MONEY. You have college funds for your kids? You’re about to be declared! Wog education is for morons! Cash out every college fund you have and give us THE MONEY. Your credit it outstanding? Take a loan for $100,000 and give us THE MONEY.
All the whales are idiots….
Der Leader speaks:
“The decision to disconnect is proportional to the degree of influence of the potential disconnectee, media backlash and negative impacting of my personal bank balance.”
A sign of cowardice too, which we could call the brother of hypocrisy.
A film comes out depicting the abuses of the leader and its church: covertly and openly attacks are initiated, but NOT once there has being a sign of honesty and courage to stand up and speak up; not an offered interview to provide his viewpoint; no, never. Why? Easy, a coward full of crimes and abuses has nothing good to stand up for.
4 days Dave. Tick Tock.
That sound you hear isn’t SP’s screaming, it’s the sound of a week-long party that will culminate in the bash of the year on Sunday night. Hope you’re packed Captain. You’re almost done here.
Yesssssssssss~! Love your post NOLAgirl. Every word is spot on and I think everybody is exactly on, or just about on, the same page. Tickity, Tickity Tock, is right.
Dave,
The time has come to put your exchange in withe karma and the IRS.
PLEASE IRS, you folded like a cheap suit the first time. I know Fred Goldstein had been gotten to, but, that was decades ago. I know you want revenge. It’s time to take away their tax exempt status. NOW!
“Hope you’re packed Captain. You’re almost done here”. You made my day, NOLAGirl.
It’s just going to keep getting harder and harder and harder for this group to keep their story straight. Lies upon lies are being revealed in a daily barrage of exposure.
The cognitive dissonance must be reaching ear-piercing levels for the party faithful.
Mike, on all this, exposing Miscavige’s double face, that is, I am with you. And I really do appreciate all your efforts to show to the people who Miscavige really is and to what extremes and madness he can go to protect his status and image and power.
It’s interesting to know that JLO’s father has been a scientologist for 20 years now, nevertheless is not forced to disconnect from his daughter who is connected to an “SP”. That’s another example of the thousands of instances of what “Standard” Tech, Admin and Ethics means to Miscavige.
I bet if one has lived in such a horror and madhouse, all he would want is to go away. Fortunately, I never made it up-lines and never got to live that version of “Standardness”. Thank god! What a bummer!
The author of “standard” tech, and ethics himself, Ron Hubbard, seemed to fall short of his own standards as evidenced by the Paulette Cooper frame-up. A very naughty fellow that Mr. Hubbard.
What’s going on with JLo’s father…that he can watch all this going on and be so duplicitous. He knows what’s going on. He knows the church is full of shit by this time. For him to continue being a Scientologist and befriend Leah … well, I look directly at him as well. Just like Tom Cruise. THAT’s what Scientologists become…selfish, greedy, duplicitous, unfeeling, and emotionally stupid. That’s the end of the road, the final End Phenomenon of being a Scientologist.
No Theo, it’s not what Standard Tech, Admin and Ethics means to Miscavige. It’s what They meant to Hubbard.
Our 4’13” friend the captain is using the tech exactly as designed.
This is so important it deserves lots of exclamation points!!!!
You’re right – “flap potential.” Well, sometimes their assessment of “flag potential” is not always on the money. They figured they could steam role Sara and get her to disconnect from her son. And the worse case would be they would declare her and she would quietly ride off into the sunset.
Well, they grossly underestimated my wife. When it became obvious that not only did her daughter immediately and dutifully disconnect from the mother she loved so much, she refused to let us ever see our grand-daughter again. She even returned XMas presents as “refused.”
That was totally unfair as Gaby loved us immensely and “couldn’t get into trouble” for talking to us.
Even though Sara’s presence in the movie is an incredible PR disaster for the cherch and will hopefully discourage anyone that considers family to be important to stay as far away from the cherch as possible, I will continue to shine a light on this incrediblly abusive practice.
I agree thoroughly with the 1st amendment, as far as people can believe and worship whatever and whomever they wish. But, I strongly believe that FAMILY trumps religion. No “religion” or other entity has the right to interfere in the family unit.
Their own stupid smear video says that Sara chose her immoral son over her angel of a daughter. That’s the whole point of why she is in the film. She shouldn’t have been forced to make such a choice – duh.
I will NEVER stop calling them out on this evil practice.
Couldn’t agree more. ANY religion feels it has a right to interfere with, disrupt, dismantle or dictate ANYONE’S family, should be met with suspicion – and avoided! It is astounding, in this day and age, people still permit this to occur. The amount of emotional distress and pain is enormous. This should be a criminal act, certainly it is immoral.
Looking forward to Sara’s story in the doco!
To me, Sara’s story in Going Clear is the most compelling of all. It reaches anyone who has children or loved ones. It makes the abuses of scientology so personal and real. I have seen the film three times and her story brings tears to my eyes each time. She is also so incredibly dignified and empathetic. AND she is the most recent “departure” and someone at “the top of the Bridge.” The church tries to dismiss everyone in the film as “long gone, 30 years or more” and “low-level nobodies.” It just falls sooooo flat when you compare their statements to Sara and her history and story.
I applaud Sara’s courage. She moved VERY quickly from being under the thumb of the church to engaging with Joe Childs and the Tampa Bay Times for a riveting and lengthy article and then moved on to appear in this film.
And throughout she has remained sweet, kind, articulate and yet resolute. She is a fine example of how to go about bringing an end to the abuses of scientology.
Thank you so much Mike for posting this article and your kind words here. I appreciate all you do. You have been an inspiration and a true friend. Thank you. And, thanks to everyone else here on this blog giving your support. I think as we continue to speak out and work together, we will end this evil practice of disconnection.
Sheldon
My heart goes out to Sarah and your family. No one should ever make a mother choose between two children like this. I applaud her courage and conviction in standing up to the abuse. And I applaud you for your strength and fortitude to stand with your family.
The abuse is why I protest this organization – the disconnection, the forced abortions, the prison camps, enslaving children, etc. The list is too long. People can worship or believe whatever they want as long as their beliefs do not harm others.
This MUST.BE.STOPPED. NOW.
(no exclamation points – just PERIODS.)
Mike, you’re right. Sara is the most compelling point in the movie regarding Disconnection. But her entire story wasn’t presented in the movie. The part that was left out of the movie would make even the most cold person’s blood boil with anger at the church.
The rest that wasn’t told was that the son, when labeled “SP” and facing losing his sister whom he was close to, his mom and his dad whom he loved, all to disconnection, couldn’t see living life without them and was about to commit suicide. The church all the while kept telling Sara to kick her son out of the house. Very cruel, no-sympathy and SPish. The good news is Sara and her husband got to her son before he could do himself in. And they stuck by him and refused to disconnect. The thought that the church’s disconnection orders would drive someone to suicide is heinous and horrible. All that from a church? What church drives people to suicide? Scientology, that’s who. For the full Sara and Shel disconnection story it is on Tony Ortega’s site.
Sheldon…my heart goes out to you and your family. I truly hope you all come together in love and laughter and totally communication soon.
“I will NEVER stop calling them out on this evil practice.”
You and Sara will not be alone in this Sheldon.
You can say that again.
Alanzo
Some people enter our lives and immediately add something positive, spiritually uplifting and admirable.
You and your wife are such people, Sheldon. Truly Special People.
Disconnection is the one part of Scientology I can’t understand.
Specifically, why it is tolerated.
Some essential part of my understanding is missing.
unelectedfloofgoofer because El Con Hubbard wrote that disconnection was church policy. In scientology its adherents are slowly, over time, hypnotized so that they believe anything El Con says is 100% correct. After a while most get SO deluded and brain washed that they can be shown his true criminal mind & acts and still defend him and his criminal insanity.
“…he simply has to make a proper request for his donations back,”
Right. But what does “proper” really mean? You can’t make a “proper” request without getting your routing form stamped on Mars by the Mars Routing Form Stamper I/C, who unfortunately cannot stamp it because you are an SP. You shouldn’t have been an SP if you wanted a refund dude. We “found out” out were an SP when you asked for a refund. No one but an SP would want a refund.
And then they take it a step further and set up stuff like the IAS Members Trust which is intended to be outside of the IRS agreement.
“I understand that donations to the US IAS Members’ Trust are not refundable.”
https://secure.iasmembership.org/donation/index.html
IAS money is 93% used just to pay the running costs of the “Church” and is therefore no different to normal Church income from auditing and training so people should be able to reclaim this money when not satisfied if the IRS agreement means anything (which it does not).
RolandRB, it’s not set up that way, legally.
Awesomeness!
The Church of Scientology is blatantly and publicly violating its agreement with the IRS for its tax exempt status, and this should concern the federal government of the United States.
After all, what would happen if all groups who had made contracts with the IRS for tax exemption simply ignored what they had promised after the ink had dried?
Scientology should not be able to get away with this.
The federal government of the US must do something now to make an example of Scientology or risk being seen by more Americans as Scientology sees them – a bunch of jokes and pushovers who you can thumb your nose at whenever you feel like it.
The inaction and tacit approval of Scientology’s criminality and abuse of US citizens by federal law enforcement makes me ashamed to be an American.
When will justice come for Scientology?
Alanzo
When will justice come for Scientology? When the main wall is down exposing who and what they really are. Every time someone speaks out on the internet it becomes searchable. Since the general public isn’t engaged on this topic like we are on a weekly or daily basis, it takes articles, films, law suits and videos posted on Youtube to inform the casual and the curious who venture online to get info on Scientology. Many more will do that before they walk into an Org anymore. I have heard staff members openly voice the fact that the church has lost the war on the internet. Justice is coming by way of reducing their reach strength and power to suppress, steal, defraud and lie. It’s a big big wall, but we are taking it apart one brick at a time. We are not the IRS so we can’t rip their exemption. But we sure can expose the hell out of them until it finally happens. By the time this is all over, the public won’t be pointing their fingers at Tom Cruise to fix the problem, they will be focusing on the IRS.
A very good point Doug Parent.
A very wealthy Leona Helmsley had a reputation for tyrannical behavior and served almost 2 years in prison at the age of 70 because during her IRS trial, a former housekeeper testified that she had heard Helmsley say: “We don’t pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes”….
Miscavige has a legion of housekeepers and former lieutenants that will testify to inurement. This is the “501c3 prohibition against “private inurement” within non-profit entities which means that individuals within that organization may not receive excessive compensation or benefit from their employment or association, because such arrangements would contravene the supposed mission of the organization.”
With 90,000 IRS employees watching HBO this Sunday evening, it should be abundantly clear that $ millions in tax free government dollars are being used solely for Miscavige’s benefit, not for the mission of the organization.
And, if Miscavige went to trial in a tax court, he would probably be convicted of witness tampering long before his eventual conviction for private enurement. Like Al Capone, this wealthy mobster just needs to be thrown into the legal system and he will roast on the coals of his own making…
Good post, Doug.
Hi Doug. I SO agree with you and have been saying this for a while. No one can win by suing the cherch or trying to get them busted with the officials.
The only way to totally crush Miscavige’s stranglehold on “our” Scientology, is to try him in the court of public opinion.
I personally feel that we should laser focus our efforts and communication into one powerful demand and focus ONLY on that demand.
The press is very good at pushing ONE point and I think it’s up to us to create that focus. IMHO, it’s not “Scientology” that is at fault. Why focus on the misdeeds of a dead man. After all, he’s dead. NOTHING can be done about a dead man and his errors, high crimes and all that.
But what CAN be done is that we can demnd the outcome we want.
Focus.
“WE DEMAND”
WE DEMAND that David Miscavige resign.
WE DEMAND that David Miscavig resign from the position of COB for these criminal activities.
Racketeering, kidnapping, embezzlement, private inurement, adultry, senior abuse, child endangerment. These are the provable charges. WE DEMAND David Miscavige’s resignation. Now.
Focus.
Former members of the Corporation of Scientology DEMAND David Miscavige’s resignation.
If we keep making that clear statement of purpose, instead of targeting the vast subject of Scientology or the past thoughts or actions of our dead founder, I believe that the public can focus on what we want and assist us in our purpose.
WE DEMAND. WE DEMAND, WE DEMAND THAT DAVID MISCAVIGE RESIGN FROM THE CORPORATION OF SCIENTOLOGY.
What are your thoughts?
They are contradicting themselves all over the internet on everything… from their claims that there is “no disconnection,” to the paragraph you just sited “we will refund money…” to the concept of “exchange.” I guess this is the part of “give them enough rope”… so pretty soon they will hang themselves. Hopefully the IRS and FBI are watching. I hope there are hundreds of lawyers watching…seeing how they can build a case to get some of those billions.
Fast and Easy way to report to IRS about Scientology Inc misconduct, fraud, money extortion, and every thing else that is not *Religious* worthy of *Religious Tax Exemption*
http://scientologymoneyproject.com/2014/04/18/time-to-13909-the-church-of-scientology/
Thank you for posting this, Karen.
Does anybody fully understand the IAS donations?
There is the IAS- a Scientology membership organization. You get your “Lifetime” membership and you are a member.
Then there is the “US IAS Membership Trust”, which they tell you to donate to if you are already an IAS member (lifetime). The forms says donations to the Trust are non refundable.
Statuses you receive for donations to the Trust are not membership levels and don’t really have anything to do with IAS membership I guess.
This means that most of the big money donated to the IAS was actually donated to the IAS Member Trust, a separate organization, and is not refundable.
Know what irks me the most about the “we won the war” on the IRS?
That the church, who used to say how bad the IRS was, turned into its dutiful little (bitch) tax collectors in a New York minute. Now you can’t do any service without making sure that your taxes are paid up.
I’m sure that was part of the “deal.” “You give us tax exemption and we’ll make sure that all of those little criminal Scientologists pay their taxes.” Thrown under the bus so that DM could buy his scotch and drive his beemer while beating up his staff and spending OUR money, harming people of good will.
“Might as well make Scientologists a cash cow for everybody. They’re stupid enough. They’ll do it.”
Yep, We’ve been had, alright.
Senators Wyden and Grassley co-wrote an article in 2014, addressing the IRS’s failure to follow up on whistleblower assertions of wrong doing by nonprofits, and they addressed, slightly, the IRS’s failure to properly monitor nonprofits. Prior to the article, Grassley got burned when he tried to go after the “prosperity preachers.” These clerics have huge support among the Christian Right and they blocked Grassley’s efforts. He finally shut down his investigation because he was so stymied by these people. Scientology doesn’t have the numbers the prosperity churches have, not by a long shot. If Wyden chooses to investigate the church for misusing tax exempt dollars, Miscavige will hire a lot of lawyers, but there will be no public outcry about the investigation. I think this is the way to open the dialogue on overhauling the IRS rules governing tax exemption, but, unfortunately, I think it will take years to happen. On the other hand, for years the government has had the basis for investigating the church, its use of illegal child labor. There is no First Amendment protection for that, and the Department of Labor is an aggressive adversary. Unlike most other agencies, DoL investigators tend to be very passionate about going after labor law violators. First, they need, however, evidence, claimants and a mandate. Perhaps once “Going Clear” is aired, the status quo vis-a-vis the church and the gov’t will finally change.
Hypocrisy, thy name is Miscavige.
The “church” of Scientology has as its main products: lying, stealing and breaking up families. Its sociopath “leader” is soooooo proud of himself. Its future is continued social rejection and contraction.
Exponentially, Matt.
IF those are their stats, Mat, they are straight up and vertical.
The church is like a schoolyard bully; they desire status and relations with attractive, wealthy classmates, while viciously beating up everyone else and stealing their lunch money.
Are the Celebrity Centers for celebrities and their families? Makes sense, if you want to keep the celebrity happy, keep the family happy. And the family members probably eat it up a little more. After all, normal society does not treat them any differently, so it must feel great.to get special attention from someplace.
It must be nice for them to be treated as the rest if the world treats their famous family members………… No wonder Paul Haggis’s sister made that nasty video. She wants to continue to ride on her brother’s celebrity coattails.
That nasty video Paul’s sister made was pure 1.1. She tries to come off as a nice little old lady who wouldn’t hurt anyone. And she says all those ugly things with such syrupy “sweetness.” I could hardly watch it. And then to read Paul’s letter the next day… to hear his compassion and intelligence. Concise and clear. It is so good the the Co$ is doing all those fool-hardy videos.
Again…his sister should be embarrassed…however her piousness and holier-than-thou-ness will keep her stuck. Yuk.
This is to answer Aquamarine, but there was no “reply” button on your comment. But you mentioned no media snapping pics of Tom C visiting Suri. I just read in a magazine article that Tom hasn’t seen Suri in person in over 400 days, which is over a year. It said Katie is taking him back to court and that she is no longer afraid of him.
Cindy, thank you for this data. 13 months without seeing his daughter. An entirely no win situation for Tom Cruise. If he’s seen with his daughter its bad for the cult because it shows how they play favorites with their Disconnection policy and the Whales and other still ins will question why Katie wasn’t labeled SP for publicly departing Scientology and if she was, why is TC allowed to see Suri via her. If he doesn’t see his daughter the vast majority of America non-Scns label him a heartless cult fanatic .Wow – totally lose/lose for Mr. Cruise.
Plus, ladies, has anyone noticed that TC is selling off his real estate? Wonder where those chips are falling. I have the same feeling about these sales as I had when I saw that Robin Williams was selling his beloved home.
Maybe Cruise is on a project prepare for going in the Sea Org? OMG, Tom, you’d better get out quick, before DM puts you in the Hole just to keep you in the zoo. Scary.
http://www.people.com/article/tom-cruise-selling-los-angeles-home-photos
http://variety.com/2014/dirt/real-estalker/tom-cruise-lists-telluride-retreat-1201344528/
Even the :Never-Ins” at Variety have noticed that he’s dumping everything.
“Variety reports that Cruise has been selling a lot of real estate of late, including his almost 2,200-square-foot apartment in New York City’s East Village for $3 million in 2013.
Last fall, Cruise listed his 298-acre ranch near Telluride, Colorado, for $59 million. ”
http://variety.com/2014/dirt/real-estalker/tom-cruise-lists-telluride-retreat-1201344528/
Are any of Cruise’s people reading this? Could be it’s time for an intervention, before Tom gives everything to Miscavige and ends up like Nicholas Cage. Bankrupt. Not joking. Anyone know his sister who used to manage him? She may be able to knock some sense into him before it’s too late.
“People keep saying, How’d you get power? Nobody gives you power. I’ll tell you what power is. Power in my estimation is if people will listen to you. That’s it.” ―David Miscavige
DM would never dare go up against JLo. By his own definition she is at least 47x more powerful than him.
She would easily chew him up then spit him out without even having to redo her lipstick.
Like all good bullies, he only picks real fights with those who won’t or cant fight back.
Exactly, Regraded Being. That is why JLo’s dad still has his daughter and why I don’t have my son or daughter. I didn’t have the fame and fortune and twitter fans that she had and so now I’m without my kids and JLow’s dad still has his daughter. What hypocrisy and double standards the church practices. It knows that if they made JLo’s dad disconnect from her that the public outcry would be overwhelming. DM knows that JLo has more “Power” than he’ll ever have. His only power is to restimulate. That is the only power an SP has and that is handled by standing up to the SP. Time for the bubble dewellers to stand up and just say “NO” to DM. Now THAT is how you confront and shatter suppression!
And that’s EXACTLY why I am outraged Neil Gaiman refuses to disassociate.
You’ve nailed it, Cindy. And I notice there are no more papparazzi following Tom Cruise around, snapping pix of him visiting Suri. I find this very odd because either he doesn’t see her anymore or some hush hush arrangement with the tabloids has been struck so that they lay off him when he’s seeing his daughter. Cynical me wouldn’t be surprised if they were paid very big bucks to leave him alone when he visits with Suri.
Cindy. Every syllable a +100, especially, “Time for the bubble dewellers to stand up and just say “NO” to DM. Now THAT is how you confront and shatter suppression!”
Thanks, Indie 8 Mill!
Though Jennifer is not openly critical of the cherch but Leah is technically, David would normally not be allowed to see his daughter. However, when Leah was still “in” it was ok for David to see Jennifer. I guess then Neil Gaiman can still see his family though he is no longer in the cherch, if he did say something I wonder if his staus as an author would give him that celebraty excemption as well.
Only as long as Neil doesn’t publically criticise the cherch. However, Neil’s wife, Amanda Palmer, associated with former Apollo first mate and veteran SP Kate Bornstein; so wtf is going on there.
Gaiman has argued w/ me on Twitter about this. Actually, he had no real argument and stated he’d “already answered the question dozens of times.” It was obvious that if he says he no longer agrees with Scientology he loses his kids. He’s not even Tom Cruise. Love the man’s work, but don’t buy it anymore as his alimony to the ex goes into the Scientology coffers. Yes, I was horrified to learn of the connection and am still in mourning. Thank the gods Danny Elfman isn’t one of the Scientology Elfmans… That would have ruined my musical life.
Isn’t Danny Elfman married to Jenna Elfman, the Scn and actress?
Bodhi Elfman is married to Jenna.
Sorry to burst your bubble, Heidi, but Danny is Bodhi’s uncle. As a matter of fact, I was told that, when Oingo Boingo was still “The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo” in the late 70’s or 80’s, they used to practice down in the garage at the Manor – before the garage was turned into the CCI HCO dungeon.
I remember rehearsing down there and going to concerts there, way back in the day.
Anyway, I don’t know if Danny was ever in. Some investigation might uncover what his connection was, at that time.
Regardless, he’s still a genius.
Re: “… we were fairly stunned at what we think is one of the two or three most remarkable moments in Going Clear…”—Tony Oretga, The Underground Bunker
I hate to disagree with Tony Ortega (after all, he is the reason I’m no longer a Bubble Dweller), but there weren’t “two or three most remarkable moments” in Alex Gibney’s Going Clear. There are dozens, if not many dozens, hundreds, perhaps thousands of moments of pure enlightenment, delight and exposure mixed with unforgettable heartbreak.
When the movie ended, I couldn’t figure out where the last two hours had gone.
Everyone in the movie spoke not just “on screen,” they didn’t just deliver their lines, they spoke directly to me and to the audience. To a Bubble Dweller (or one who has only recently escaped their clutches), Going Clear can be the best auditing session outside of Scientology Inc. The movie continues to help escapees peel the onion. Exposing the truth and grim reality behind what other Scientologists did in their attempt to help L. Ron Hubbard “free mankind” and “clear the planet,” is nothing short of astonishing.
The Alex Gibney/HBO Documentary Films Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief and Lawrence Wright’s Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood & the Prison of Belief are Mr. Gibney’s and Mr. Wright’s gift to mankind.
Now, let’s make ’em proud!
Inspired by The Underground Bunker (Tony Ortega on Scientology), “‘Going Clear’: Marty Rathbun on what he was thinking during his key moment in Gibney’s film,” March 25, 2015.
http://tonyortega.org/2015/03/25/going-clear-marty-rathbun-on-what-he-was-thinking-during-his-key-moment-in-gibneys-film/
“When the movie ended I couldn’t figure out where the last two hours had gone.” Fred, I experienced the very same thing at the Arc Light theater in Hollywood where I saw Going Clear. Never has a 2 hour movie gone by so fast. That’s how enthralling it was. And now…it’s count down time to the end of this ruthless, evil, militant cult. When HBO shows Going Clear in 4 days, all the others who haven’t seen it yet will have the exact same experience you and I had: Where the hell did the time go? Now that’s the mark of one incredible film!
Thanks to Alex Gibney and his crew for facing the cult and not blinking…
Re: “Thanks to Alex Gibney and his crew for facing the cult and not blinking.”
Yes, Old Surfer Dude. Alex Gibney and Company sure rolled up their sleeves and came out swinging… with tenderness and care. To recall what I saw in Going Clear at the first showing at Hollywood Arclight on opening day (gee, maybe you and I shared the same seat although show times apart) sends chills up and down my spine. I can’t wait for the rest of mankind to board the crest of this wave.
Look out, Four Feet Thirteen (or, better yet, not)!
If the IRS took action against the sham of the “Church” of Scientology, there would be no public outcry. In fact, there would only be cheering and support from Christians and all other faiths sans Satanists in the USA.
Today the “church” could never whip-up 2,000 lawsuits against the IRS. The Co$ has been castrated by it’s own members and is now ready to be slaughtered by the legions of enemies Miscavige has created, including the IRS.
I am sure nearly every single one the 90,000 IRS employees will be watching this HBO documentary March 29th simply because Scientology beat them to their knees by “fair gaming” them in the 1990’s.
“… In fact, there would only be cheering and support from Christians and all other faiths sans Satanists in the USA.”
I hope it was only Hubbard’s history with the O.T.O. and Crowley’s brand of occultism/Satanism plus some irony on your side that let you make this comment, as most modern Satanists are atheists and critical thinkers, not organized in any group or cult (they’re much too, well, individual for that). Most are thinking of their Satanism more as a philosophy than a religion. Some of them are into the “spiritual” and mysticism, many are not. Lucifer, not merely as depicted (rarely) in the Bible but much more so as depicted or analyzed by any philosophic and creative person over the centuries, serves as an ideal, an idol, an inspiration; no more and no less.
In other words, Satanists despise the “Church of Scientology” like everybody else.
The most dubious and despicable cult apologists I know of – some of them actually paid shills, some (sadly) very sincere – are “religious scholars”, all with Cristian or sometimes Mormon background. These people are all too ready to shill, knowingly or not, for any and all abusive cults aka (as they prefer to call them) “new religious movements” if that only helps them to create a generally more “religion friendly” climate. Such is characterized, aside from religion friendly legislation, by awe and blind respect (much more than mere “tolerance”) for the believers, even by people who are actually functional atheists, yet 1) are considering themselves – wrongfully – a hopelessly small minority, 2) are by habit clinging on to a vague “faith for the faithful, even if I can’t believe anymore”. This I see as these scholar’s true, if but not necessarily conscious, intent and goal. For them, it is all about “protecting the faith”, and that gets more difficult all the time. 😉 So apparently somewhere down the road some (faithful) “scholars”, over their studies of comparative theology, got the idea that the faithful of all kind better team up against us godless DBs, and better show willingness to award any and all abusive, crazy, exploitative little cults the badge of honor (in the USA, very much so, at last on the legal plane) of calling themselves a “religion”, now with official approval of the scholarship, in their totally altruistic, idealistic intent to be “fair and balanced”. 😉
This is more than mere theological mindgames, it demonstrates a superficial, though very political, very calculating, loyalty amongst the faithful, even if theyse faithful have nothing at all in common when it comes to the details and contents of their different faiths. It is a political alliance, no more.
All in all, to me, these twisted priorities and perverse ethics, driven by the overwhelming urge to protect the faith above all else, are telling, and for some mysterious reason (I suspect a massive J&D engram 🙂 ) that kind of Christian stupidity and casual cruelty typically only reinforces my own “faith”, if we can call it that. As it is a rather dark one, and I don’t consider it beyond J&D as this is in fact an important sacrament, we can also set for “mind game” or “applied philosophy” or “weird shit”, whatever pleases you. 🙂
Two Faced and fork tounged, RCo$ gotta go.
Look out dm after this weekend the world will be watching.
Brutal, as truth often is. Nicely put, Mike.
Its time for everyone, including “Hollywood”, to take a stand.
Clowntime is over.
A case on one rule for you, another rule for the folks with dough and public influence.
Pretty pathetic and transparent as are most things tht come from the mind of the dinky one.
Two-faced? Couldn’t that also be called schizophrenic or bi-polar? If the two-faced shoe fits, DM…