This is an interesting tidbit forwarded by one of our readers.
Ten Muslim families in Birmingham rented some space in the “ideal org” to celebrate Eid (the festival of breaking the fast, which marks the end of Ramadan).
But it seems one member of the family attending is a journalist, and a few of them got curious. The impression the org and staff made is interesting.
It is also interesting that an ideal org is trying to make ends meet by renting out spaces for parties. A bit like Denver “ideal org” selling their parking spaces for Rockies baseball games. They’ve got to keep the lights on somehow, and it’s certainly not from the income they are generating selling scientology services.
Eid. A day of celebration, gathering, and festivities. Not something you’d associate with the mysterious ‘religion’ of Scientology, correct? And you’d be right—most of the time—because my last Eid had everything to do with it. Confused? I was too.
You see, every Eid, we have a huge gathering, with ten families renting a hall for a large get-together. This Eid, it just so happened that the ‘hall’ was the head of the ‘church’ of Scientology building in Birmingham. Can you see where I’m going with this? Well, after we’d done the normal greetings and picked up one of the hundreds of complimentary hand sanitizers (they had a weird obsession with cleanliness), we (myself, my sister, and my cousins) decided to do some exploring…
Following that encounter, we were all thoroughly spooked—I cannot speak for my cousins, but my arms were adorned with goosebumps, my heart was racing, and my fight or flight reflex was going into overdrive. We all ventured back downstairs to the main hall, seeking safety in numbers, when we saw one of the ‘Scientologists’ taking photos of all of us (photos which were, interestingly, never shared with us—neither the adults nor the children). Although we were scared, we wanted answers so we went up to him and, feigning interest in a homework project on Scientology, began to interview him.
To be frank, while we did glean some information from this interview, it was not as much as we’d have hoped as he seemed to be actively dodging our questions, clamming up when we asked him about the specifics and instead directing us to special videos on an app. It was reminiscent of a politician giving an interview on live TV—avoiding direct answers and beating around the bush because they had something to hide. Did this Scientologist have something to hide?
To round off our day of investigation and when our nerves had calmed slightly, we decided to explore the basement (which is obviously always the safest, least spooky part of a building). We made our way through double doors into darkness—there was only a faint light from our phones with no light switches. But even in the darkness, we could see a long hallway stretching into the distance, with some sort of activity at the far end (unusual seeing as we had booked the building for the day). We were just about to explore it when a Scientologist came up to us out of nowhere telling us that it was out of bounds…
What lay at the end of that corridor, I do not know, and I’m not sure I want to. My experiences of the day had confirmed for me that, far from an ordinary religion simply based on science, this was starting to look more and more like a cult that required money to progress up the ranks and certain ideologies that had to be followed. Maybe I’m wrong, and it’s a perfectly harmless religion. But your gut feeling is rarely wrong.
There are some snapshots accompanying the article — included below:
This is extraordinary.
In my time, the Orgs. were always open for business, with the single exception of Christmas Day.
I can’t imagine the justification in closing the Org for a purpose like this.
Just goes to show how far downhill Scientology has gone in the past decade or so.
An article that deserves a Nobel Prize! ha ha ha… for God’s sake… if there exists.. a God… ha ha ha… but what can be deduced from this? who took advantage of the good faith of Scientologists… who began to rummage through other people’s property like thieves and without consent, scared of a doll for practice!… and it describes well who the journalists are. Dishonest gods.
I agree with you Pietro. I am not at all a Scientology symp., official or ‘squirrel’, but this group had hired a space for their banquet. One must wonder if they held some live-animal sacrifices, since that is typically part of Eid.
It was very impolite of them to just wander off into the back corridors.
I can’t help but wonder, though, what was at the end of that long corridor.
Was it the office lovingly prepared for fatty’s return, or a gateway to Birmingham’s R.P.F. space?
we need to investigate…this case. the future of this planet is at stake here. right behind those grates…
No, that it’s just an auditing room. Rpf is located only in the Sea Org, not in the orgs. The lrh office is beside the entrance door and public area.
Dear Pietro, I’m not quite sure what’s randomly rolling around in your head, but something suggests to me that it’s certainly not encountering any obstacles.
If you’ve come here to spit, you might as well do it in other directions. A different one every day. Every morning when you wake up, take a walk, but in a different direction. Every time you walk and spit, remember that it’s a different direction from the last time. This is part of a “tech” by hubbard called PAB 6. Look it up and apply it. In my opinion, you’re exactly where you need to be. And then, enough of ridiculing yourself, come on Pietro, take a break. You’re trying to carve granite by throwing dried figs.
what a poem… you could win many awards, and stay at the top of the charts.. for a long time… but not like LRH. He’s unique. Inimitable… don’t be offended. ha ha ha.
Sure. The fact remains that scn is only in your head and it’s also a subject you haven’t even understood. It shows.
You’re off lines because they themselves have pushed you away. But think about it.
If the “great LRH” or the others knew you were following this blog, they’d chew you out big time. Your chance of a future with scn is over.
Try to get back ‘in PT’ and don’t even try to say you are. There’s a couple of light-years between you and PT. But give it a shot.
The description in the article is very good. Tells you how creepy and strange it is. Can’t say I’m surprised though I have always wondered what the inside of the buildings looked like besides empty. Now I know from the article and images. Even That the inside of the buildings are creepy. Despite trying to be seen as pretty.
WILD that they are renting out their space, and the fact that they didn’t lock any of these doors! The lights are on, and no one‘s home – for sure!
great article. Shows someone with an outside perspective looking Into scientology. And seeing the absurdities Within it. Both physically and belief wise.
Those pictures are very eerie and completely empty even though there things in the pictures.
Nothing says Scientology like a lockable door made out of steel bars. It brings back so many “fine” memories of the many years I spent there. If Scientology doesn’t give paid tours during Halloween they are really missing out on a financial opportunity. Pay extra and carry that doll down the last basement hallway in the dark with only a candle to light the way.
I heard a scream from ahead of me and the slamming of a door. My cousins had ventured ahead to one of the last ‘test rooms’ when they saw it. A deeply unsettling humanoid doll sitting in a chair alongside a bed and table.
That description and the picture with the doll reminded me of Chucky:
https://store.necaonline.com/products/bride-of-chucky-replica-life-size-chucky
“If Scientology doesn’t give paid tours during Halloween they are really missing out on a financial opportunity.”
Mat, I think this sentence will make me laugh for the next few days. No joking.
I think it fits with claims their buildings are open to the community, and attempts to portray themselves as ecumenical. I’m surprised that they seem not to have had one or more people assigned to carefully monitor the outside event, perhaps a sign that they are running so short on staff that they are having trouble keeping up with their established standards of paranoia and control – a failing several people will now presumably be punished for.
PeaceMaker, yes, I agree with you in full. Someone will be seriously punished (especially if the story ends up on this blog that is seen by many) and then as you say they have few staff available.
After all, they are ‘volunteers’ with set hours. Renting out pieces of org to pay for the costs of the ideal org is the worst thing ever heard of. Hubbard would have another heart attack.