This is filed under the category unabashed hypocrisy.
Also known as the the gospel of the church of scientology.
Tony Ortega had this in his Sunday Funnies column, but it was sort of buried among all the other nuttiness that is rounded up each week.
It didn’t get much comment, but given the level of hypocrisy, I felt it deserved a little more attention. 
These people are, with a straight face, jumping on a campaign with a catchphrase “one family torn apart by war is too many.”
How about they get on board a campaign “one family torn apart by scientology is too many”?
They could start with the most senior local official, Australian “church” President, the “reverend” Vicki Hanna/Dunstan who disconnected from her daughter…
Or perhaps the chief spokesperson of the church in Australia, Virginia Stewart who disconnected from her father.
And with this at the very highest levels of the church, how many others are there in Australia?
Too many to count.
But the sentiment is correct — ONE IS TOO MANY.
Putting an end to scientology tearing up families is a very worthwhile campaign. Perhaps some of those “humanitarians” that call themselves scientologists could get on board?
This is such an important post Mike, thank you. Thank you also, to all the intelligent and caring commenters here today, standing up for the right to speak freely, associate freely and for the rights of families. It is so basic to human dignity to have autonomy over your own mind and decisions. Amnesty International works to free prisoners of conscience, the radical church of Scn. is full of them.
Marie, Well done to you for standing up and saying, “NO!” to that smirking punk MAA. Little people with little power like to wield it cruelly. And as for people throwing others under the bus just so they can keep their families, try on these initials of the betrayers in my situation: MW (you know who you are, and your husband reads the blogs as an UTR, so tell her I published her initials), DC, GV, PM, RP, and there may be others too. Until people start standing up and shouting, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!” this suppression and cruelty will continue. Just do what’s right and get out. We’ll have our family back eventually once the church crumbles and DM flees, kills himself, or is put in jail. Keep postulating that we are reunited with our families.
Thanks Cindy (& mike, of course,) I agree with all of these statements. My family has been destroyed. The “wasband” my Ex will NEVER see the light ! His mother enables him; as she is also “OT,” which must stand for overbearing tyrant.
Having recently lost my son, sister in law, mother in law, brother in law, mother, step sister, step brother, and many “friends” going back up to 40 years, all due to this disconnection policy, I can state that the church is actively destroying FAMILIES on every continent and in all major cities in the world. This is of course the greatest good for the greatest number of the church’s dynamics. Smacks of 1984 …
I second that Hallie Jane. Thank you, Mike, for posting this important post. And keep up the good fight to all who have lost family members and friends to the cult’s disconnection policy. We keep postulating that the church crumbles and our loved ones come back to us. Shared reality becomes actual realty.
Cindy
Enforced disconnection and the threat thereof is simply a thought control and behavior modification mechanism utilized by the suppressive person who runs the COS and his suppressive cohorts who have aided and abetted him. The game goes like this: People try some part(s) LRH’s applied spiritual philosophy called Scientology and find that it greatly enhances their lives. Naturally, they then want their loved ones and their close friends to have similar benefits, so they introduce them to it. Furthermore, they discover a great deal of camaraderie among others who are practicing these procedures and create even more friendships based on this common interest. Eventually, many people observe this tech being twisted and/or applied destructively, etc start to blow the whistle on that in a large or small way. Then, instead of investigating these observations (which would almost always lead straight to DM) and seeking to correct them, “officials” in the “church” turn on these people and threaten them with a “suppressive declare” if they don’t shut up. They are told that this would mean that they could no longer do and have Scientology and that all of their friends and relatives with whom they have so much in common would then have to disconnect with them or declared also. A domino effect.
This is the trap. These “officials” use the Tech as bait. And that is how they hide their own and DM’s crimes.
So what is the solution for people who get caught up in this nasty little game? I think the first step is to see it for what it is, then not compromise one’s reality, and one way or the other simply don’t participate in shunning friends and family or cutting comm lines with people just because they express a different point of view.
As for smirking suppressive sociopaths in the “church” or elsewhere who try to drive a wedge between friends, families, and people of good will, I salute them……..
with the good old one-fingered salute.
+1!
This heartless cult sheds crocodile tears for disconnected families. The cynicism of it is impacting me almost physically. My heart goes out to all of you who, every day, miss fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters and old friends; to all of you who suffer senselessly due to your loved ones having denied you your rights to your own reality; longing for dear ones who have ceased to communicate. My heart goes out to each of you who has chosen personal integrity over the approbation of your dearly beloved. Thru the ages, wise people have written about this kind of life choice. “The Kingdom of Heaven is yours” would be the Christian metaphor for the reward for this kind of courage and strength. And, believe me, I get it: you don’t want the Kingdom of Heaven, all you want is for that dearly loved one to get back in comm and say, “Hey, its OK, I understand, and I love you”.
Beautiful!
yep, the one and only KP.
They don’t see disconnection as tearing family’s apart, they see it as an ethics gradient. Big difference, when a war is a fly speck on the eternity they deal in.
Mimsey
“There’s no such thing as disconnection as you’re characterizing it. In the majority of instances, the person makes his own decision with the help of the local MAA. We have no intention of interfering with anyone’s second dynamic. It just so happens that all of the people who chose to disconnect from an antagonistic family member came to realize their relatives were all flaming SP’s and came into Scientology with the sole purpose of destroying it. COB has a great deal of compassion as we in RTC can attest, but when it comes to protecting Scientology, he will do anything in his power to ensure command intention is forwarded. Hope that helps clear the air once and for all.” ML, Special Representative for RTC Reports and Chief Watchdog Overseer for Global Deployment.
The ethics officer who gave me a veiled but direct threat of loosing my family , and we all know the ramifications are even greater , had a cute almost benevolent smile , I saw that she took pleasure in having this power over me.
But she had no power, all fears left me at that moment, it was too gross, I never set foot in an org again.
So I am disconnected , and I had this dream of a collective NO from all the people under the radar, but it is just a dream , the friend who gave me away was saving her large family and I have no resentment just sad for the life she is now stuck into , but she gets to kiss her kids and numerous grand kids who know nothing of this mess.
As we speak I know of a family being torn apart , it won’t stop until people realize that their agreement is feeding the insanity.
I agree with you Marie. I am also curious if this “friend” who gave you away has initials KP? I think we both share the same experience with this friend if indeed it is the same person.
You’re right Davey. One family torn apart is too many. So where’s Shelly?
You might not have the rank to talk to Dave that way, but you certainly have the right. Good night Tommy Davis wherever you are.
Got goldenrod for you brave fellows
Got goldenrod for you brave fellows
The bullshit’s as high as an elephant’s eye
An’ it looks like it’s climbin’ clear up to the sky
Oh, what a beautiful con game
Oh, what a beautiful day
I’ve got a wonderful feelin’
Money is coming my way
All the sheeple are standin’ like statues
All the sheeple are standin’ like statues
They all turn their heads as they see me come by
And I miss all their withholds by winkin’ my eye
Oh, what a beautiful con game
And oh, what a beautiful day
I’ve got a wonderful feelin’
Money is coming my way
All the big donos sound just like music
All the big donos sound just like music
The staff are so busy they can’t even pee
And a down tone old timer is running from me
Oh, what a beautiful con game
And oh, what a beautiful day
I’ve got a wonderful feelin’
Money is coming my way
Oh, what a beautiful day
Beautiful day
There’s something even more sinister in the Sydney Org’s invitation to people who categorise themselves as refugees. Once these immigrants get a visa to live in the community, they are are naturally looking for work. Some have no contacts in Australia who can help them find a job, and they can’t all become taxi drivers. They are unlikely to know much about the Cof$ or its reputation, so any job offer is likely to sound good to them. Starvation wages? They’ll think that’s just a temporary thing for newbies. Long contracts? They’ll see that as security, and may not be able to read the fine print. Sea Org contract? Might sound like a chance to move up the social ladder in a spiffy uniform.
This event at Sydney Org was, among other hypocrisies, an attempt to recruit more slave labour. Not very different to other Australian companies that import workers for below-award wages, but potentially more damaging to the people they recruit.
David Cooke – you might be on to something here. The IAS regges and SO recruiters are on the prowl at such events. Look out.
How disgusting to further abuse and enslave people who’ve suffered through war. Haven’t they had enough? Of course recruiting such people (refugees) would be rationalized as “helping them”. More like Help in the form of Betrayal.
Betrayal in the form of Help, I meant.
Thanks for posting this Mike and well put! It makes me so angry to read this…. and the fact that they can do it with a straight face! They are hypocrites! Scientology is a cult and destroys families with no remorse whatsoever and to what end? To keep control on the small numbers that are blindly following them.
One family torn apart by Scientology is too many.
There are thousands.
For myself I’m very happy to be disconnected from DM’s church of insanity !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Amen brother.
Perfectly written, Mike.
Unbelievable!!! All around me there are Scientology families torn apart OR people under the radar in order to prevent it. This is what tyrants have done for eons.
In America’s past, besides the Slavery it’s self, the whipping, the death the other absolutely horrible aspect of Slavery was when children were sold off from their families. Absolutely heart wrenching as are the Scientology disconnection stores.
Another analogous story. A Class VIII, OT VIII writes on his facebook page. “I oppose Tyranny and Authoritarianism in any form.” Yet is still towing the line in the church and was the first to disconnect from someone in his own family.
“I oppose Tyranny and Authoritarianism in any form.” (unless COB objects of course)
It’s really hard to see what the hell he is thinking. I’ve been out so long at this point. The Blindness is amazing.
As Steve Hall said in an interview with Jeffrey Augustine, ‘Scientology is self-destructive’. Most of Hubbard’s administrative and ethics policies are mean and vindictive. Disconnection and fair-game policies are doctrine. They are standard tech and something to be followed to the letter. It goes back to KSW. Unfortunately, since this behavior is embedded in their scriptures, Scientology can never be reformed. No amount of exposure or litigation from the outside will put an end to this.
I’m not being pessimistic, just being realistic. What will happen is that more people will walk away from it, their membership will die off. Recruiting is nearly impossible these days anyway, so the cult will die of cash starvation. Miscavige did a wonderful job applying standard tech to it’s fullest sense. He not only dismantled International management, but insured that no one of any capable means will be able to run the organization in his absence.
Who knows? If Miscavige were to disappear tomorrow, the problem will still be Hubbard’s oppressive policies. Someone else will take over and we will still have the same problem as before.
….”Who knows? If Miscavige were to disappear tomorrow, the problem will still be Hubbard’s oppressive policies. Someone else will take over and we will still have the same problem as before. …”
The cult is on the ropes and the brand is toast. The Hubbard policy “problem” has already taken care of itself. Just step back far away enough to get the perspective and you WILL see that the cult IS falling, it’s just in ultra-slow motion. You won’t hear a crash at the end though. Just a “click” as the key turns inside the lock of the front door of the last building. It’s not a matter of IF, it’s just a matter of WHEN.
I think someone should re-snoop the flier at the top and say “One family torn apart by Scientology” is too many. Then re-shoop what it says in the flier… and send it out to all the nice Bozos who received the first one. Send it out on a church mailing list. It would be interesting to send out glossy fliers that look church-produced, but actually tell the truth. Like have the photos of DMs offices… and then photos of the terrible living conditions of the loyal Sea Org… et al. I will be more than a few people would start reading it… not quite realizing what they are reading until they are too deeply in to stop reading. Hah! Then they would have to go for sec checking. 🙂
They could have it next to a picture of several thousand people who suffer from the effects of disconnection.
“One Family Torn Apart Is Too Many….”
What a bunch of prissy, religious hypocrites. You are members of the Church of Scientology assholes.
You wrote the book on disconnection, excommunication and religious persecution.
I think it is good to disconnect from a relation who is an SP/Psychopath because if you do not they are very likely to destroy your life and/or kill you, I have seen that happen in the world outside of scientology .
The real problem is that Scientologists are not recognizing real SPs/Psychopaths because Scientologists do not know enough about SP/Psychopaths .
I disconnected from one of my relations who is a Psychopath years ago. I have two relations who did not disconnect from him and they are both dead. I knew years ago that he was going to destroy them and he did , they both died in their twenties, I know he caused their deaths indirectly by constantly invalidating them, he rants and raves and overtly and covertly invalidates everyone he comes into contact with.
“Disconnection tech” as penned by Hubbard is just common sense applied to a bad social situation, and it was intended to be temporary as a handling while someone got through an auditing intensive. It’s turned Scientology into a cult for the same reason as anything else, how and why it is now abused. Personally I’d like to see “Disconnection” as a term to be just as “cancelled” as “fair game”. (Lol) People aren’t mechanical objects like train cars being “connected” and “disconnected”. It’s seems so black and white, just like some aspects of Scn. Just stop talking to someone until they aren’t being an asshole anymore. It’s pretty simple. Viewpoints change pretty quickly, but PTS and SP declares, not so much. Never put a 4 year old behind the wheel and never give a Scientologist a ream or box of goldenrod. They will F things up in no time.
Ealadha – you made a good point here. If people truly understood what a sociopath and psychopath is, then they might not be the effect of it. Too often we see people’s lives damaged by these personalities and Scientologists are very much at risk in the Fundamental CoS.
There are many uncaring attitudes towards other people who do not toe the line within the group and even a total lack of empathy between parishioners sometimes. Then you have the way that some staff views and treats the public, sometimes with contempt.
The harsh system within the SO, the way that families are considered not important in the grand scheme is rather antisocial in itself. This gets run on the public who think they have to do everything they can for Scn and who will then be willing to abandon their closest family members. There is something about the whole disconnection policy and practice that is fundamentally sociopathic to me and it forces people behave in an antisocial manner.
You are right in that when a person clearly is psychopathic or sociopathic, it is a good idea to steer clear of them but practicing Scns in the RCS have a very hard time telling the difference when it comes to being a “good, dedicated Scientologist”.
When I was connected to scientology I was told by staff members in the Co$
to disconnect from my parents because they are SPs, These people had never met my parents so how could they know they are SPs, they did not know anything about them, . And my parents are not SPs.
I feel a rant coming on. “One family torn apart by war is too many” …..Scientology is at war with it’s own. A strong indicator of a destructive organization (cult) is the revelation that it’s greatest opponents are former members who devoted (on average) 25 years of their own lives to the very movement they now oppose. Not the AMA, not the APA, FBI or CIA. It’s own roster of once devoted ex-members compose the MAJORITY of it’s present and current enemies. Gee whiz Wally wonder why THAT is? Whats the percentage of OT7’s and OT8’s leave? What percentage of SO members leave? 60%? 80% ? If Scientology worked then these numbers would be in the single digits. Wake up people, your data analysis / doubt condition’s need another look.
Right on!
Perfect!
I would also like to add here that it seems there is no one in COB’s church now that can validly handle a PTS sit. LRH wrote the issues on these handlings and they are very simple and effective if personnel understood and applied them. Now it seems it is just a snarling “disconnect” and that is that.
Absolutely Foolproof. The most important datum in any ethics handling should be INTEGRITY, fidelity to ones own self. This is what historically, the concept of honor is about, someone who is true to their own self and beliefs, who’s actions align. In-ethics is not possible without integrity, OT is not possible without integrity. The greatest good, for the greatest number of dynamics is conceivable WITH integrity from ones own point of view. This practice of forcing people to go out integrity is the blackest of the rcs, and literally reverses spiritual progress, in high gear.
Here is Karen exposing these hypocrites:
http://youtu.be/KYn2n-HF0jE
Wow! Attendance AND participation are free. Really?? How warm and fuzzy!!!!
No hidden agendas ………… like how bitchin it is to be a part of the largest movement to salvage mankind in the last gazillion years? That will require some restraint. Frickin IAS regges will be circling the bait behind the curtains.
Quite right Cooper. The IAS regges will be there is full force. Wouldn’t you feel embarrassed to leave such an event to stop war and help war-torn families be reunited and made aware of their basic human rights without contributing to the only organization on earth who is REALLY doing something about it?
These guys are completely shameless in how they use people, anyone for a buck.
Wow. You can add Kay Conley to the list; the LRH PPRO ANZO (used to be LRH PPRO PAC, but was shipped off to ANZO after being busted). She disconnected from her own daughter recently.
Yes, true that.
Disconnected because she refused to disconnect from HER friend Chrissie Weightman and her husband, whose mother and father are OSA bigshots in the UK/Brussels and they disconnected from him for not being a KoolAid drinker. This is just ONE “chain” of disconnections, it truly is “6 degrees of separation”. You can always find someone who has disconnected less than 6 people removed.
Thank you for reporting all this clearly, Mike. From the inside out. I was always just on-lines. Never staff or SO. So when I got a whiff of what was really happening and stepped back and started reading… I had to stop dead in my tracks. It made so many things make sense. To keep uncovering all this other stuff about the depth of the disconnections is really amazing. I never had a lot of family… my upbringing was kind of crazy. Even so, I survived, however… I didn’t have the experience of losing a loving family or someone who supported me because I just didn’t have it. So… when I look at all these people who have HAD loving families and people who support them and cherish them… and then they willingly and haphazardly throw it all away… it’s almost surreal to me.
A close friend’s daughter, who is still in the church,
had her best friend disconnect from her as this
daughter is refusing to disconnect from her SP
father.
“The need to educate Australia – Nigel Mannock”
Nigel,
My family has been torn apart by your organisation. This was one too many!
Surely, you differentiate between SP and victim. I am JUST an SP. The one “pulls it in”, but the other … as well. So we are all the same, right?
I am still thinking about my children, who are suffering for your “the greatest good for the greatest number of people”. I guess your godlike leader counts as much as one million noblemen.
I am not over it and I take your hypocritical slogan “One family torn apart by war is too many” very personal.
This way you “pull in” my counter intention.
Knowing that this issue has affected, and is affecting, Mike personally, makes it all the more moving, and should inspire and energize all of us to rid the world of this evil thing. It is doable, unlike some, more massive problems.
If I may quote the “punk” group The Clash:
“Let fury have the hour
Anger can be power
Do you know that you can use it.”
Let’s all use our righteous anger for great justice.
Beware, that is what sank Darth Vaders boat. When Piranhas run out of food you know what they eat next.
All you need is popcorn and a good seat.
Can you please expand on “what sank Darth Vaders boat”? I am not aware.
He allowed hatred into his beingness and by operating on that, fell to the ‘dark side’.
Excellent post. Come on all you ‘still in’ human rights advocates. Stop the hypocracy and end Disconnection.
Agree with McCarran. Here is an article from (make a cross with your fingers) Psychology Today:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-science-success/201102/how-cut-your-losses-when-it-s-not-working
The problem is that with their heads so far up their asses, they’ve eaten their balls. They can’t even see the hypocrisy and won’t for a very long time.
There are degrees of slavery and with most of those left, you could take the chains off and they still wouldn’t leave.
LOL!
It’s safer to be in chains. That way the big bad wogs can’t get you.
If the church of Scientology changes this policy,it will be the
end of the bubble. The insiders will painfully learn all the
atrocities the church has committed and the house of cards
will fall. Instead we will see a slow erosion of the membership
by reason of people waking up, which is what is currently
happening. Sorry DM, that is a fact. IMHO.
I’m not in any way supporting the tech that is used
to force disconnection. I feel it is a vicious method
to control. When I worked with a pc on a 10 Aug.,
there was a choice…handle or disconnect. I NEVER,
tried to sway a pc to disconnect….NEVER.
That said, how can one really even consider weighing the attributes
of family or Scientology to decide which way to go?
One day Sheldon is with his loving family and the next
day it is over? Come on, where is the logic in that???
How can children even consider disconnecting from the very
fabric of our society? From the very people who sacrificed so much
to see to their future was bright?
How in the world can a parent even think of disconnecting from
a child?
Broken families is a greatest good? A greatest good of what?
Where in fuck is the common sense in the people who make
these decisions to disconnect? The ones who make these decisions
are NOT using Scientology or they wouldn’t do so. The very basic
auditing actions of Scientology can make such decisions very easy
to make…..and it wouldn’t be to disconnect.
I understand not all families (and few are) are the Clever family in
Leave it to Beaver but really isn’t Life Repair designed to handle such
family out ruds?
Is the consideration now…lets not bother with such
minor auditing actions…..let’s not bother with relieving spiritual upsets and
problems in one’s life….let’s just disconnect the mother fuckers!
Why take the time to handle an ARCX of long duration? How mundane!
Why bother with an L1C on a family member or family? How stupid is that!
Yes I know these decisions are made out of PTS’ness but even on the PTS R/D
processes after finding an item is what?…..four flows of ruds for Clears and above,
and NED plus four flows of ruds for non Clears.
These folks are making decisions based on out ruds and pts’ness…something so simple
to handle it is just ridiculous. YET NO ONE IS OFFERED ANY OF THAT SORT OF HELP
….it is either disconnect or leave your chance for eternity….that sort of point of view is the most evil
of evil. And man that’s fucked up!
Yes, solutions are amazingly simple in a basically good people.
Great comment Potpie. I too, never evaluated when handling people, that was not the point. The problem is personal responsibility is out the window, if you have an issue with someone, you just blow them off and make no effort? That’s out tech, the person should be helped to be more responsible, not less. Gross out ethics is completely validated in the rcs whether it’s abandoning a child, a husband, committing financial overts etc. Another thing is that there’s way too many SPs now. All you have to do is talk and you’re an SP, so the disconnection dominoes are falling to the ridiculous. We have an idiot like Julian Swartz, dictating who’s persona non grata this week and all that person’s associates have to disconnect. The whole thing is bizarre at this point. That it’s continuing, shows the loss of mental faculty of those involved with this lunacy. My heart goes out to those still suffering.
I think I read an LRH reference that says that we try to Handle as the first order of business so as to not just knee jerk disconnect. And in the early days, the MAA’s always steered toward handle and would almost never recommend disconnection. But those were saner days. As people start to see the Truman Show around them and ask questions or comment or get others to look, that is when Davie has to lash out via his MAA’s to cut them out fast before they infect others.
Potpie — your anger towards the whole disconnection policy is spot on! It doesn’t make any sense, it never will make any sense.
Disconnection as a concept, is and always has been, a delicate and somewhat dangerous tool to be used sparingly and with GREAT care. It had functionality in a very narrow band, but over time has spread like an effing plague to encompass every aspect of a person’s life.
If your brother is a junkie, continuously ripping off your family,and threatening them, you disconnect. It’s really a common sense action, like removing your hand from a fire.
But in Scientology, it has been co-opted by the RCS and the malevolent ones over the years, as a tool to control and subjugate. It rings with the same clarity of purpose as the Catholics’ promise to excommunicate those who disagree. It’s an old concept and an ugly one, that is exhumed periodically by some group and made ‘new’ again. In it’s current usage, Disconnection is a set of brass knuckles, a sap or the ubiquitous blunt instrument, used to bully someone into doing something that they normally would never consider doing. It’s only power comes from those it’s used against. When they stop agreeing, it will die.
Odd
I watched the Lateline programme about Scarlett Hanna. In it, Scn spokesperson Virginia Stewart shows no compassion whatsoever for the fact that Scarlett was separated from her father at a young age for a couple years due to his RPF assignment. Instead, she makes it look like this was a voluntary decision.
The same goes for Scarlett’s “friend” Sarah McLintock. Lying like the inch wives on 360. I was in the cadet org in England. It was better than Scarlett’s ordeal, but not much.
I find it upsetting that so few interviewers pick up on the utter lack of any human response from Scn spokespeople.
Even the comments say “It’s like Mormon homeschooling or Islam”. Really, so if you’re homeschooled, you don’t see your parents? Hmmm. . . my niece and nephew were homeschooled until their mom got so sick of having them in the house 24-7. HOME means they are HOME, not in boarding school. I think people can’t believe that what is said is the truth so they superimpose their own reality on it.
Either that or OSA bots.
Nice comment Valerie. It’s just more lying and obfuscation. They really don’t give a shit about providing a nurturing environment or education for their kids, so they make up something that they think will sound good. It actually sounds ridiculous and their lying is quite apparent to most average people. They are fooling no one but themselves. If they just told the truth, however odd, it would be better pr than all the creepy lying.
The church and its members have truly twisted notions of the second dynamic. When the church was pressuring my spouse to divorce me I went ballistic. Not one single “friend” of ours would object to the church’s immoral behaviour. Instead they pointed the finger at me and claimed I was FORCING the church to do this!
For your everyday Scnist, they are willing to look the other way – so long as it isn’t happening to THEM. These formerly decent beings, with a reasonable grasp of right and wrong, have been thoroughly corrupted by their immoral church.
It is no secret that the Sea Org has a shameful history of second dynamic crimes. And the closer the public Scnist is to the Sea Org (e.g. AOs, SHs, Flag), the more they are subjected to these second dynamic aberrations and are forced into agreement with them. They covertly devalue the second dynamic, thus making it okay to destroy. They have to devalue it in order for disconnection to work. The individual has to be willing to sacrifice members of their second dynamic for some greater good. One way to do that is make the sacrificed member worthless.
Well stated Statpush. The 2d is such an important stabilizing element in life, physically, psychologically, emotionally. Disloyalty in this area is so destructive. It unmocks the very foundation of our lives and well being. It’s a key subproduct of cult entry, to destroy those connections that would dilute loyalty to the cult. When I told my hubby I was done with the church, he said “shit!…..well I better read what you’re reading.” Hahaha, what a guy!
He sounds like a keeper! 🙂
Truly hypocritical. We just need to keep shining the truth of their grotesque disconnection policies and society will see them as the sham they are. I guess they already do but we will make it even more clear to them.
Following this policy is in itself a confession of how much you have forfeited your rights to love those close to you and, instead, decide to follow a ‘rule’ that breaks one of the closest bonds that exist: your own family members.
The policy ‘exists’ because people do it, otherwise will be called for what it is, an abuse of your own life and ties with loved members and friends. Mind control in its fullest.
As some of you may know, my life was totally destroy due to this evil, sinister, diabolical cult. I kept on wondering why I was “untouchable” yet other members of the “wasband.s” family he could continue to talk to. Now I found out that his mother still is involved. It is so hypocritical. It is sickening and depraved. In constant hurt, am I. Thank goodness for therapy with the psychological profession. These “monsters” in the psych world saved my life. Also these sites on the computer reinforces that help.
It would be fascinating to create a list of the families currently broken apart by scientology’s abusive disconnection policy and nutty SP declaring of anyone who dares to critcize David Miscavige. There must be over a thousand broken families right at this moment.
There are very few people in scientology who have not been personally involved in disconnection whether it be family, friends or business associations. David Miscavige has made sure that this policy is strictly enforced and tightly policed. In the end, disconnection is actually a statement about the mindset of a “dedicated” scientologist. “Dedicated” scientologists are people who stoop as low as needed to stay in line. Including abandoning mothers, fathers, sons and daughters.
These “dedicated” scientologists are actually bigots. They hate and discriminate against gay people, they hate and discrimate against anyone who tries to use scientology outside of their cult. They hate and discriminate against anyone who criticizes them or their abusive behaviour. They hate and discriminate against law enforcement and news reporters. Their “moral superiority” makes it justifiable to tell blatant lies and to smear the reputation of any percieved enemy. All while maintaining that they are a superior version of humanity.
The idea of great superiority combined with hatred and persecution of minorities is the formula for all great human rights abuses through history.
Fortunately the church of scientology is playing the hate game on a very small scale, and getting smaller every day. Not that its much consolation to the hundreds upon hundreds of people who have lost family members.
Kudos to Mike for continuing to expose the hipocracy and draw attention to this sanctimonious evil.
“The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.” -Einstein comments on the average scientologist.
Actually for those who have suffered from scientology and its disconnection practices, perhaps a great slogan would be “the price of freedom – constant alertness, constant willingness to fight back”. L Ron Hubbard advising indies on how to deal with DM.
Love your comment, Exesso, all the way. I too think it would be very interesting to do a “call-in” ;o) of all of those affected by disconnection. Although, you wouldn’t get a true list as some of these are people who wouldn’t speak out or are in the SO.
On a much smaller level, when my daughter was young, I think maybe 7 or 8, one day, one of her friends told her that she had decided she couldn’t be her friend any more because she wasn’t Mormon. I was appalled. I said “do you want me to talk to her mother?” She said, “No, why should I want her for a friend, she’s prejudiced.” Out of the mouths of babes.
Scientology indoctrinates you from the very beginning that you are SOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! much better than anyone else, simply for having been touched by Scientology that you begin to believe that you are above everyone else. Therefore, it becomes easier and easier to commit unspeakable atrocities and treat others like they are inferior simply because you “are so much better.” The hardest thing I had to learn when I left Scientology was how to have compassion.
I’ve had and have a lot of friends who are Mormons, and there are quite a few Mormon children in public schools in our area. I’ve never seen disconnection by Mormons. They do tend to hang together because of the tight morals, but so do lots of people in religious communities. I’m not saying it has never happened; I just don’t think that it is policy or common (at least these days) for Mormons to disconnect from non-Mormons. In fact, I think there might be an effort at modern integration and outreach.
However, what may have been going on here is that the parent learned your family was connected with Scientology in some say, and the parents didn’t want their child associating with anyone involved in Scientology and didn’t want to bring it up with a 7 year-old, so they simply told the little girl it was because you weren’t Mormon.
The negative image of Scientology today is the only thing I’ve seen that is 10X over what it was when I routed off staff a couple decades ago.
Leonore, you make a good point that it could have been cuz they didn’t want Scn influencing their child and that the PR of Scn is so much worse now than it was years ago.
But re the Mormons, I grew up among them as a non-Mormon, and yes, they do tell their kids to only have Mormons for friends. If they let them have non-Mormon friends at all, they are periphery friends, not closest BFF’s.
I have been trying to shed the “better than you” attitude since leaving the church. And as a result I have met some really nice non-Scns (I won’t even use the term “wog” anymore). And these are people that may not be at the same intelligence level or socio-economics level, but who have your back if you need them to and are nice and loyal people. Everyone has certain qualities that are good and that help others. Everyone, that is, except sociopaths. It is easy to find the good in people once you drop the “us” vs “them” attitude and drop the “better than and holier than thou” attitude that I see in the KA drinkers.
One family split apart is one too many… hey Davie, where is your WIFE, Shelley?
Vacationing in the mountains.
I think that a list of disconnection stories similar to
https://sites.google.co/site/biglistthatleftscientology/home would be good.
There is already a blog about disconnection stories by Cindy Plahuta and Claire Headley: http://www.stopdisconnection.com/, it needs more stories.
More blogs:
http://www.exposescientology.com/scientologydisconnection.com/disconnections.html
– Scientology Disconnection
http://aidathomas.wordpress.com/2012/08/02/stories-of-disconnection-in-scientology/
– Aida Thomas
http://www.breakingfromscientology.com/scientologys-practice-of-disconnection/
– Clair Headley
http://www.lermanet.com/scientologyscandals/disconnectioncites.htm
– Jenna Miscavige
https://www.mikerindersblog.org/category/disconnection/
– Mike Rinder
… and google: ‘tonyortega.org disconnection’
Oooooo. Thanks!
When I was in Scientology, the subtle pressure to disconnect from anyone and everyone who wasn’t a Scientologist was always there. It increased the higher up I got and became less and less subtle until it became an obvious “you are not allowed to associate with anyone who is not a Scientologist.”
They are worse than that, though, they tear apart the families from the inside. A Sea Org family is torn apart because one person is posted in a different organization so they spouses are forced to divorce because they cannot speak to each other.
At one point in my life, I worked at a coal mine that was a competitor of the coal mine where my husband worked. No one told me I had to divorce my husband because we didn’t work at the same place, or because we worked for competitors
Secrecy destroys the family. When you aren’t allowed to speak openly to your spouse, your children, your co-workers, even think openly, you are being torn apart from the inside.
Mike, I am so sorry that you have experienced first hand the hypocrisy evident in this promo. It would be an interesting study to take a months’ worth of promos and point out each time Scientology promoted something they were supposed to fix that they had in fact broken. I am certain the effect would be staggering.
People are waking up, though. I have many friends who have stopped supporting this madness but for familial reasons have to stay under the radar. After years of abuse at the hands of the church, one good friend was driven to madness. Once he woke up, his sanity returned. However, being disconnected from his family would be too much for him. So he pretends only to keep his family intact. It’s a tough road to go down but a wise choice in his case, considering his tenuous mental state.
“I have many friends who have stopped supporting this madness but for familial reasons have to stay under the radar.” Clang clang clang clang bang bang bang bang can’t you hear the cognitive dissonance in that sentence even as you say it?
I agree that some people are staying in to keep connected to their families, but your friend lost his sanity and then went back to the place where he lost his sanity because he lost his family. What a horrible choice. Your sanity or your family. The problem is, though he probably doesn’t realize this yet, he’s lost the trust of his family by choosing to leave the first time. He will always be suspect. And now that he’s been “recovered”, his family will probably be forced to disconnect from him anyway.
Just part of the whole humanitarian effort of the Church of Scientology. I hope your friend comes out with his mind intact. So many sad stories, they all begin to run together and sound the same unless they are happening to you.
If everyone under the radar came out…it might just be the push that starts the end implosion of the church.
I respectfully disagree. Each person’s situation is unique. I would not dream of criticizing a person’s choice to stay under the radar in order to keep his family intact. And btw, you did not duplicate my post. Read it again. Thank you.
@Gail (standing ovation)
I think of those who had the balls to stand up and say “fuck you” to DM. “This is not okay”. “I will speak up about this!” Some have lost loved ones, yes, for now, but they led the way and made it safe for thousands more to follow suit. They set an example – one day those loved ones will recognise it and thank them for having the guts to tip the first domino. How many of us are here now, speaking freely, without fear of using our names, because of those before us? I know I am and I am truly grateful. I know what some have sacrificed to hold the door open so chumps like me can walk through and out into the fresh air and sunshine. Yes, it is sad that there are people who won’t stand up and set an example to their connections for fear of losing them. Easy for me to say, of course. Sad nonetheless, but understandable. Each must do what they believe is right.
“I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have.” — Abraham Lincoln.
If Scientology wants to help families they can unblock/untap the phones and tell every Sea Org member to call their family this week.
CofS Parishioners have closed their eyes to the rose tinted “religion” they belong to. By participating in the insanity of disconnection, they follow the rules of how to behave, so they won’t lose their “salvation”. Instead they lose their identification! Such illusions!! .
No, they lose their souls.
This level of hypocricy should truly be ILLEGAL. Scientology has torn apart so many families it is astonishing that they continue to get away with it. One of my favorite relationships ever was with my step-daughter’s autistic daughter. We had a very special relationship that benefited both of us immensely.
Her parents disconnected from me the day I was declared. They were just saying the week prior how much they loved me even though they knew my declare for my unwillingness to disconnect from their brother was imminent.
That was there kool-aid decision considering I paid off my step-daughter’s freeloader debt and got her through a review/life repair so she was setup for objectives. Not to mention the many times that I babysat Gaby. Plus – I never upset either she or her husband in any way. I was giving her husband some assists for his back problems right up to the declare.
That they would disconnect from me in a heartbeat is the ultimate in cult insanity.
I believe that miscavige is totally aware of what the world in general thinks of his cult and he chooses to keep soaking the faithful and telling them what they want to hear: planetary clearing is right around the corner.
Like u said – ONE FAMILY TORN APART BY SCIENTOLOGY IS TOO MANY.
Dear Shergold, I truly feel your deep and agonizing pain. May you be healthy and strong. You are great.
Sheldon, I feel your pain. Just two weeks or so before my kids and ex and everyone else disconnected from me, my daughter asserted that she would “never” disconnect from me. I asked her, “even if it meant you couldn’t get your OT Levels?” And she replied, “well that’s not going to happen because everyone knows you are NOT an SP!” Her words exactly. And yet less than a month later, she and my son both disconnected from me. The church made them. They are both on staff and of course the church had to separate them from their “bad” mother. The same mother they said they loved over and over and vice versa. Good article Mike. Keep repeating the hypocrisy of “not one family torn apart by war” and “not one family torn apart by the C of $”. It used to be you had to use the 12 Attributes of a Social and Anti Social to determine if someone was SP. And even then you didn’t actually have to disconnect if you could handle them, as in “Handle or Disconnect.” DM has squirrelled the tech to mean, “immediately disconnect from any and all who don’t tow the party line.” It is a political thing now.
David Miscavige is about to reap the wrath of God in the form of highly motivated enemies filled with righteous indignation and ready to rumble. All of his money will have the same effect as trying to stop a forest fire with a garden hose.
YES MJ, he will get his. He and the church makes their own enemies from the way they tear families apart and treat people. Trying to stop the tsunami of retribution will indeed be like trying to put out a forest fire with a garden hose. Let’s try to hasten its coming.
😀
Sheldon, I have experienced a similar disconnection (with two young people I have known, mentored and loved since the day they were born – now in their thirties). It is a heartbreak I think of every single day, sometimes just in passing, sometimes at distressing length. While I do fully understand their unwillingness to experience the penalties they would have incurred by remaining in comm with me or showing any response at all to me after to a lifetime of love and devotion, I also cannot ignore that these are grown men, one with children of his own, and that at some time in one’s life, one gets to show if one has ANY loyalty, confront, courage, or just common decency. I believe your step daughter is about 30 years old, right? It is actually inconceivable to me that she and her husband have decided to abandon you and Sara, a mother whom your step daughter had a very loving relationship with. I mean that literally – I cannot even mock up the idea fully for myself, that is how unreal it is to me. I still have not fully worked out for myself the “ratio” you might say of personal responsibility vs. cult mind control. But what I do know is that you are doing a good thing – as is Mike – by continuing to publicize this phenomenon so as to prevent it from continuing in any way possible.
Well spotted Mike. This is tantamount to Hitler stating that one dead Jew is too many dead Jews. When I was in Scientology the pressure to disconnect from my mother was non-stop for over 25 years. Along the way I came to realize that almost every staff member I came to know had severed one or more family connections. Hello ? This group claims to help families but it splits them up in accordance to Hubbards doctrine and it affects EVERYONE in Scientology.
The Cult is diabolical in terms of how it relabels people who refuse to be duped into abstractions of evil, (SP) or victims of evil by tacit consent, (PTS) Scientologists agree to be intellectually dishonest and they are trained to lie to themselves about these abuses and other abuses that are rampant in this cult. Scientology produces among other things, liars and dupes. Thank you for continuing to help get the word out about these criminals.
Truly amazing how we fell victim to this bullshit and justified it on the basis of “the greatest good…”
This is exactly what I am CONTINUING to hear from people and family who have disconnected from me. It is truly amazing how “the greatest good” is used as a justification for their own sins. Just yesterday I had this term used on me and I asked them what the greatest good had to do with living by your own truth – honor – integrity. (I even said I wondered if Nelson Mandela or the Freedom Riders would have changed their minds about the courses they chose to take if they would have known about “the greatest good” – sarcastically, of course.)
Mary — I have commented on this before, but I think it bears repeating.
The “greatest good” is the greatest scam when the “3rd” Dynamic counts 8 and each other dynamic counts 1. Tally up the totals and it ALWAYS comes out that what “the group” wants trumps all else.
It is the definition of a “held down 7 (8)” — and frankly it is a euphemism for the much reviled “group think”. If you look at it you find it explained this way:
1. The greatest good is that which benefits most dynamics and harms the least
2. Scientology benefits ALL dynamics EVERYWHERE, ALL THE TIME
3. YOUR 4th dynamic contributions towards survival are not even in the same league as the church, thus supporting the church is good for YOUR 4th dynamic.
4. Same with the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 1st and 2nd.
5. Thus, what is good for the church is what is good for you and all of mankind and every living thing and spirit
6. Therefore, the ONLY real factor in the equation is what is good for the church — you just have to come to that conclusion
7. Thus everyone must toe the party line — it IS the greatest good for the greatest number of dynamics. And it IS industrial strength group think.
Mike, your comment about the greatest good is right on. It has been used by every tyrant in history to convince the followers to support his agenda. First you set up what ever your agenda is as the solution to “the Problem”. Then your agenda is the greatest good and you can do whatever you want to further it. You use PR to convince the public that your agenda is the greatest good. Overpopulation is an agenda so mass murder, war etc becomes the greatest good. Clearing the planet becomes an agenda so destroying anyone that gets in the way is the greatest good. It’s not important that the agenda actually does any good or not it is just that you CONVINCE the followers that it is, then you are justified in doing what ever you want.
Good one, Mike. “Indistrial strength group think”. Perfect.
“Industrial Strength Group Think”.
Regarding “The greatest good”: Mike Leopold and Mary McCarran, you made great points. Mike Rinder, you summed it up perfectly. This is a really important subject to consider for anyone who has been or still is in Scientology.
Mike – thank you for posting again your synopsis of “the greatest good.” I think we also have to understand that throughout its history, the Scientology group has bound itself to dramatize not just LRH’s values and ethic, but his case as well. While Ron had three wives and seven children, for whatever reasons he could not ultimately bring himself to truly have a loving lasting relationship with any of them. Of course, the unkindliest cut of all you might say was his abandonment at the end of Mary Sue, who he certainly could not have established Scientology without She was his greatest ally and yet his own delusionary ideas about his “personal” survival (such as it was) drove him to hide out in terror from the imagined forces of destruction which were all around him chasing him (in his mind; though of course since he did participate in federal crimes, he no doubt would have at least been questioned).
So …. LRH, a man who abandoned his own wives and children and showed no lasting love and loyalty to them (or really to ANY other individuals, no matter how loyal they were to him) becomes the “model” for all Scientology. LRH dictated when people could and should get married. He determined by his policies if they should be allowed to have children. He decided who would stay together (anyone could be sent out to any outpost or on a mission at any time). Ah, isn’t “total freedom” grand?
So a Scientologist gives up his self determinism on the 2D/family as he/she does regarding every other area of life. And LOYALTY and DEVOTION and LOVE had absolutely NOTHING to do with LRH’s OWN decisions and as the church dramatizes HIS insanities over and over and over again, we get the robotic, mindless, emotionless beings that we now see having all of their drug like wins running around a pole. Until they leave, they are beyond hope. They will only evidence normal love and affection as long as someone in the “church” gives them permission to do so. That is how far gone these people are. They can only set themselves free by leaving, and not many that are in have enough confront or free theta left to do that.
Funny….my first thought was that catchphrase in their promo
should be circled in red. Sounds odd I know but knowing what
we know and seeing it in a Scientology promo, that phrase does
indeed indicate an evil purpose being disguised in the form of
help….a justification that can surely sicken those who know
the truth.
Miscavige is nothing but a walking evil purpose and should have
a red circle painted around his face.
The sad part is he can’t do it alone….there are others that should have
that same red circle around their faces.
Open the flood gates and all the mean & nasty come flowing in wringing
their hands in glee knowing they have tacit agreement to secretly spew
their evil venom for the greatest good.
Well they say s leopard can’t change his spots.
As usual diverting attention away from what they do to point out others misdeeds.
Hypocrits!
I get the same reaction when I see the world “help”. Scientology destroys everything in the name of “help”. I hope more people leave this evil cult before they are too far gone. Kudos to everyone who has left.
Hypocrisy to the max, Mike. Nothing new with this bunch. Anything to draw the suckers in.
Hypocrisy from Hell with no real help in sight.