Once again, Scientology’s own “PR” exposes the embarrassing truth about the scientology world.
Though they repeatedly boast having “the largest private relief force on earth” (or some variation of this) that attend every major disaster, somehow apart from the photo ops the church puts out, nobody else in the world seems to know anything about them or notice their presence. That is because they are far from being a “force.” They are a ragtag collection of people who are rounded up, persuaded to pay their own way to a disaster site, given a t-shirt and expected to pose for photos.
Presumably the two largest collections of VM’s are in Los Angeles and Tampa Bay.
One would imagine that immediately following a disaster like the New Orleans floods (they claim it is the largest natural disaster since Hurricane Sandy) there would be dozens, hundreds or even thousands of VM’s flocking to the area. There are more than 12,000 scientologists in Tampa Bay alone, let alone the ideal Atlanta (of course, no org in Louisiana at all — even after the overwhelming demand for LRH tech that followed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina). But no, no force appeared.
Hell, they could have helped given some touch assists and WTH booklets to the Narconon there that was begging for money to clean up their operation.
Instead, Pat Harney, the head of scientology PR at Flag, took the opportunity to put out a press release because ONE PERSON went to Louisiana. Apparently they didn’t even have anyone there to stage a photo with her, so instead they used a shot of some VM’s in a van in a scientology parking lot in Clearwater under blue skies. How pathetic.
You can see their press release here — the full text is below in italics. This is apparently all the largest relief force on earth could muster in response to the greatest natural disaster in the US since Hurricane Sandy 4 years ago.
CLEARWATER, Fla., Aug. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On Sunday the 20th of August, Scientology Volunteer Minister and Clearwater, Florida resident Crystal Lurie turned her 5-year-old son over to her husband, bid them goodbye and travelled to Baton Rouge, joining a group of Scientology Volunteer Ministers to help the flood-ravaged victims there. Ms. Lurie is part of a network that the Church of Scientology established as a permanent Volunteer Ministers Disaster Response Team, ready to mobilize in times of natural or man-made disasters.
“I just wanted to do something about it,” said Ms. Lurie, echoing the motto of the Volunteer Ministers. “Following the Florida hurricanes of 2004, I pledged I would do all I can as a Volunteer Minister to help my fellow human beings in times like this.”
According to the Red Cross, the catastrophic flood, which started around the 12th of August damaging more than 100,000 homes, has been designated the worst natural disaster to strike the United States since Hurricane Sandy four years ago.
Ms. Lurie and the Scientology Volunteer Ministers have been spending their time In Louisiana at two Baton Rouge shelters helping the victims and emergency workers alike.
“Among many tasks, we helped the National Guard pass out flyers to the shelter residents letting them know where they could help and what resources are available for them because in the chaos, many just had no idea where they could go,” Ms. Lurie said. “But then there was the pregnant resident who was stressed out about her situation and didn’t have any prenatal vitamins. As a mother, I could totally empathize. I gave her an Assist and got her vitamins. She was so relieved and grateful for the help.” (In Scientology an Assist is an action undertaken to help a person confront physical difficulties. An Assist does not replace medical treatment or first aid but is an adjunct to them).
Ms. Lurie returned to her family this week but many Scientology Volunteer Ministers and other volunteers from the Red Cross and other organizations stayed. “More Volunteer Ministers are on their way as there is still so much more to be done,” she said.
The Scientology Volunteer Ministers of Florida opened up a headquarters in downtown Clearwater last July. With its public information center, conference room and seminar rooms, the center welcomes anyone wishing to receive help. The center offers free courses covering everything from handling drug problems to helping children to increasing efficiency in the workplace. For more information and tour of the center, call 727-467-6965 or email clemencec@volunteerministers.org. The Center is located at 101N. Fort Harrison Avenue, Clearwater, FL 35755.
Scientology Volunteer Ministers
The Volunteer Minister program was created in the mid 1970s by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, who described the Volunteer Minister as “a person who helps his fellow man on a volunteer basis by restoring purpose, truth and spiritual values to the lives of others.”
The Volunteer Minister program is a broad initiative bringing effective physical and spiritual assistance to anyone, anywhere. Within this network are the Volunteer Minister Disaster Response Team who work with community leaders, government officials, relief organizations and other volunteer groups to provide physical support and meaningful spiritual aid through their organization, skill and experience.
Spanning every continent, Volunteer Ministers comprise one of the largest independent relief forces in the world, bringing effective help whenever and wherever needed.
For more information on the program, log on to www.volunteerministers.org
For More information Contact: Pat Harney 727-467-6860
Hey Mike – this article reminds me so much of your interview by the water with Marty Rathbun. You and he were talking about how Miscavige micro-managed you guys and the media. It was hilarious to hear you two tell it.
Ridiculous that it happened but you made it obvious how ridiculous it all was/is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99-CeOxemS4
During the Virginia Tech shootings a vanload of VMs went to the campus to ‘help out’. The article in the Roanoke Times was less than flattering, accusing the VMs of using the tragedy to get people into Scientology. I was there that weekend and there were a lot of WTH booklets scattered everywhere, even at the makeshift memorial. I mean, really?
Some of the area football teams arrived in buses and helped people tear out water-damaged walls. Busloads of church members arrived and did whatever was needed. The Cajun Navy rescued people and animals by boat. That’s charity. Thank you for coming down Ms. Lurie. Your efforts, I’m sure were appreciated by someone. Too bad your church used you to spin it.
I’m in LA right now for a couple of weeks on a consultancy. Do you think it would be difficult to find a VM to give me a “touch assist”? At the very least, could they tell me a place where I could do my laundry?
🙂
On 11 August 2011(when I was still isomewhat involved), I finished compiling a list of the Taampabay VMs. Out of 223 total VMs, I was able to reach 138by phone for their emails and phone #s. 83 ere un-reachable. This ‘project’ was done for Judy Fagerman who was the VM i/c Tampa Org. I was doing this 250 hour project to fullfill a 100 hour requirement. I could have stopped at 100 hours but I felt the need to complete the cycle of action(a trait uncommon amongst SPs according to LRH. This was part of comm ev recs that that I spent a year trying to complete but Patricio and Cara couldn’;t get their heads on straight. I wasn’t allowed to even get signatures as the wording was not just right for Cara’s little brain. What finally happened was the FB Police stepped in & identified my connections to trusted friends I wouldn’t disconnect from. There are so many more who I trust and appreciate more than anyone else. I did enormous work to assist the VMs and still got trashed despite my efforts.
The data Mike mentioned above is just the tip of the iceberg of the scam the Co$ is running on the people of the planet. Those who do help out are doing so earnestly. It’s the leadership who is running the scam. Those who are involved are blind to the actual intentions of the Dworf/Troll/Grifter who runs things.
My eternity is my love for those who I can trust.
Thank you for your help Pericles. As you know, giving of yourself and helping is its own reward. But still it would have been nice if the church had given you credit for that at your Com Ev and called the whole thing off. But since they didn’t, and declared you instead, aren’t you glad you are free and able to create your life without lies now? I’m glad you made it out.
And P.S., is Cara, the Flag HCO or West US HCO person, is her maiden name Cara Lake from Los Angeles area?
Cindy, no this is the FLB Injustice Chief, Cara Golachefsky(spelling might be a bit off).Asa far as I know she has been on this post for at least 15 years. And yes I am happy to be out and not have the bastards & bitches breathing down my neck threatening me with all sorts of penalties of which the threat of declare is always looming. An old S.O. member who is no longer with us told me once that my declare was my Badge of Honor. He knew the darkness that had taken over the Co$ by its Grand Implanter, David Miscabbage. Of course he had had several run=ins with Nermen Storky as well who couldn’t give a crap about anything but himself.
Thank you Cindy for you welcome comm.
Be well,
Pericles
Pericles, Very nicely put.
Thank you 1984!
I was taught “fibbing” was wrong as a child. Sure glad Scientology disabused me of that idea. Now with a few chosen words it’s all better in the world! Fast too! It’s so to easy to fix up all those poor disaster affected people and do it from the comfort from your own home. 1000s of miles away? No problem. Best tech ever and the public love it so much. For a few hundred grand you too can join the disaster elite team, jet setting to the disaster spots of your mind, utter a few magic words and become an instant hero to your peers. You need to be quick though to stay ahead of the rush!
See… ain’t Scientology grand?
(Special price for yellow T shirts for status members, be quick limited supply and double discount awarded to those that are photogenic. To sit in a van is extra – conditions apply as seating is limited).
Those poorr kids in the Van! Thank goodness they left the doors open. Hot in fl!
This is further evidence of the decline of $cientology. With allegedly 12,000+ members in the Clearwater area, they can only get 1 minister? {Sources report that $cientology has less than 20K active members, possibly less than 15K, in the entire world.]
By the way, if VM = volunteer minister, it also stands for vampire minister.
Isn’t helping victims like rewarding down stats, since I’m sure they pulled in the hurricane? More cognitive dissonance from this arrogant cult.
“The Scientology Volunteer Ministers of Florida opened up a headquarters in downtown Clearwater last July. With its public information center, conference room and seminar rooms, the center welcomes anyone wishing to receive help. The center offers free courses covering everything from handling drug problems to helping children to increasing efficiency in the workplace.”
Well, when it comes to free $cn intro courses, it’s just like what heroin dealers always say, “The first hit is always free.” With $cn, free is way too high a price to pay…and stay away from the free Kool-Aid too 😉
When there has been the 11 september catastrophe, the club of dilettantes called scientology was able to get 45, yes, 45 people (most were perhaps staffs) to hel the thousands of victims. Great successes announced by the cult? wow. In NY city area, that’s 1/50000 or so. And the few who tried to sell LRH insanities were expelled!
Roger, lorsque les World Trade Centers sont effondrés, il y avait tellement de confusion l’Eglise de Scientologie marcha droit en annonçant “nous sommes ici pour aider” comme ils essaient de le faire partout dans le monde. Ils sont allés “inaperçu”. Il n’a pas été jusqu’à ce qu’ils ont commencé à distribuer la littérature de l’église et interroger la psychiatrie qu’on leur a demandé de partir. Le mot «exploiter» a un tout autre sens que le mot “help”. 🙂
In English:
Roger, when the World Trade Centers collapsed, there was so much confusion the Church of Scientology marched right in announcing “we’re here to help” like they try to do everywhere in the world. They went “unnoticed”. It was not until they started handing out church literature and questioning psychiatry that they were asked to leave. The word “exploit” has an entirely different meaning than the word “help”. 🙂
Number One question from people who have gotten VM nerve assists
Where did my Wallet Go ?
Donated to a cause far far away. Now, lie still Grasshopper, I haven’t said we’ve EP’d yet. How’s the slack on your spouse’s cc’s?
The VM’s that actually go on site are really trying to help. Don’t confuse them with CoS management.
Agreed in principle. Though at this point, they should have woken up to the fact that they are being used. Used to soak money out of others. They should just show up and do their thing and wear no identifying yellow shirt. That would be demonstration of a real effort to help.
Being cannon fodder takes little or no conscience. Fear is often the driving force buried behind the reason for doing stupid things. To accept the lies of Scientology in the present climate of the electronic super hwy of information circulating on this planet speaks for itself. It’s not a matter of being tough, easy or nasty to criticize such people as VMs. They were their badge with pride, same a dog does when a silly hat is tied to its head.
The VMs in the van know there is something wrong with this picture. They have to push so hard to stop those thoughts, put on the happy and forge ahead and do something that they can use to convince themselves that the PR is not just a photo op.
Been there, done that, wore the T shirt.
So much more pleasant to just let the thoughts flow, confront the outpoints and move on with a real life.
Great point JC. What you said reminded me of how I felt every time I was handing out promo, selling books, body routing, and disseminating. It all felt so unnatural.
I was in Santa Monica where all the people walk on 3rd street, and there was a table set up with pamphlets against drug use and people handing out the anti drug pamphlets to everyone. They wore civilian clothing with no markings on it. But I recognized immediately that they were Scns using the Narconon front group to disseminate. But they didn’t use the name “Narconon” since it has such bad stats and press. Nor did they have the name “Scientology” anywhere on. So I just locked eyes with the guy handing me the promo and asked, “Are you a Scientologist?” He actually flinched and I could see him grimacing on the inside while he comm lagged and thought about how he should answer. Reluctantly he said that yes he was a Scientologist. I said something like, “then this is a Scientology group here” so that any passersby would hear me. He seemed so embarrassed to be caught being a Scientologist that I could feel his embarrassment. It was palpable. So why don’t people realize that if they are ashamed to admit what church they are volunteering for, then maybe something is wrong with the picture?
“So I just locked eyes with the guy handing me the promo and ansked, “Are you a Scientologist?”
And he flinched, comm lagged – wow!
This is proof that the cult’s PR really is very bad!
Good news, Cindy. Thanks for what you did and for sharing it here!
I am surprised that any one would wear a VM yellow shirt and go around trying to ‘massage’ strangers. Even people in Baton Rouge know about $cientology. What’s next? Door to door mammograms?
I had to laugh at the image of door to door mammograms! If it gets a body to sign up cos is on the case!Raining again in BR,one would think those VMs would know how to kyack for their photo ops! towing piles of TWTH!❤️
I know. Our org tried to help flood victims during the Nashville flood of 2010. We went to Lipscomb University which was set up as a shelter and tried to give touch assists to the victims. All we did was freak people out. The shelter administrators finally had to tell us to stop. We spent the rest of the day helping wherever we could and serving pizza.
One has to first start by WANTING to do something for the guy in front of you. Then one has to give him what he needs and wants at that moment. The church can’t even follow its most obvious way to help. It seems to start with the intention to “to get him into scientology.”
Unfortunately, all too true.
I know -Miss Ann could not find a single VM van or bodies in BR.And I tried downloading their app.Suri kicked them out.lol.Today on TV and in the paper, a huge new photo of 200 Mormons from Utah all in yellow tee shirts arriving in a caravan of buses to help clean up.Not a VM in sight.Of course now dummy me understands,all their photo ops including the dude in Clearwater can be shown over and over to the point of tears on that media station in Hollwood thr is burning up the ratings with their stellar offerings of zero.Thank you as always Mike.❤️
That’s the nice thing about the Mormons ; their efforts to help are based on sincere love and not on a photo op like with $cientology.
Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike. Silly you. They send an Oat Tea with every group that then, uses OT powerz to make them invisible so the evil psychs don’t bother them while they werk.
Makes perfect sense to me…
It’s highly irresponsible just turning over your 5 year old son like that. That family will need a VM! No kidding!
Just another example of the despicable nature of an organization based on lies, deception, cruelty and greed. The largest SP force in the history of the planet are gathering their forces and daily revealing the true nature of the midget and his minions. TICK TOCK MF’s.
If they didn’t lie in their PR releases, they would completely lose control of their rotten public image and their tax-exempt status would be revoked with a vengeance. As LRH quipped, “‘The only way you can control people is to lie to them”
Fortunately, people like Rod Keller at TO’s blog keep public officials appraised of the truth vs Scientology’s stock-in-trade in PR: to lie and keep on lying.
http://tonyortega.org/2016/09/04/florida-ag-pam-bondi-hosting-human-rights-event-at-human-rights-abuser-scientologys-hq/#more-33698
Robert, you said ” As LRH quipped, “‘The only way you can control people is to lie to them” “, Where can I find this?
If scientology today was a person it would look like Pat Harney wil look in 20 years.
In a wheelchair with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s at the same time.
Stopped screaming to the nurses two years ago about the Psych forces infiltrating the convalescent home.
Now just drooling and incoherently mumbling about his Super Powers.
With nurse Ratchet screaming at her…
The TIP JAR is not in the photo.
There are other ways volunteers like these can assist people. The main way would be to volunteer to get ethics in IN THEIR OWN CHURCH first as a rule before attempting to get ethics in on a planet. And second, this masked activity by the Volunteer Minister’s (any) hides that fact that PAID government agencies are “for some reason” not able to cope with a disaster like this themselves in spite of the funds and manpower available to do it with. And this is an election year no less. 🙂