Try to ignore the typos, spellos and grammatical hash in this email if you can.
The milestone news is that they are going to hold the biggest and “most impacting” [sic] WISE convention ever (of course).
They are going to have 1000 people there (not an ice cream’s chance in hell of that happening).
But here is the REALLY big news. Because demand is so high, they are “reducing the prices”. Now that makes sense. So much demand we are reducing prices.
Really, they are using “scientology math” or “scientology speak” where reducing the prices actually means, as explained in the next sentence: “they are not really reducing the prices.” Got it?
This must be the only event of this sort in history that apparently didn’t offer a group discount from the outset.
The masters of marketing and organization apparently just realized that they should give a better rate for a “table of 5” or a “table of 10” (for a “convention”?). Apparently this is a new concept, probably because L. Ron Hubbard never said anything about it in policy. Oh right, the only thing he DID say in policy was “banning” “congresses.” Oops.
The models of admin know-how seem to be a little off the rails…
Dear Robert,
This year’s American WISE Convention & Consultant’s Conference is going to be the biggest and most impacting in our 36-year history.
We are putting on this convention to get all vectors aligned, and so that you are armed with sufficient and tech and policy to reach out and be decisive in your actions as a businessperson—right at the forefront of our planetary salvage efforts.
This convention will align all forces to the honest-to-God introduction of our administrative solutions to every business and organization in each geographic zone of America. Each member will leave with certainty that they can create their business into a refuge from the raging insanity of our current society, as well as make it an emanation point for sanity and survival. And what we have planned for the Consultant’s Conference will assist that endeavor tremendously.
In light of the releases planned—and in commemoration of the fact that this year has proven to the world that America is indeed at the vanguard of all our expansion efforts—I am announcing a new WISE convention ticket special!
The price for the convention ticket is still $400 per ticket. This is not changing. However, for anyone who purchases a “table”, or group of 5 convention tickets, the price will be a total of $1,300. This is $260 per ticket and is a savings of 35%.
For anyone who purchases a table of 10 tickets, the price is $2,200. This is a savings of 45% from the normal ticket price!
This special is being offered to increase the attendance at this convention. We will have 1,000 people there.
The objective is to have WISE flourishing and prospering, new people introduced to the tech, and all of us working together to build the New Civilization. This convention is a part of that strategy and we need all to participate.
We in WISE are standing by to answer any questions and to help you obtain your table.
You can reach us by email at wisewestus@wise.org, or by phone at +1 (323) 953-3310.
You can also register online here, and a staff member will contact you for your payment.
Contact us right now!
Sincerely,
Sakhi Guma
Executive Director
WISE Western United States
323-953-3310
By the way, it would probably help ticket sales if you said WHEN and WHERE this milestone convention is going to be held.
Come on WISE guys, that IS contained in “LRH policy.”
Hold the phones! Late breaking news….
From: WISE West U.S. <wisewestus@wise.org>
Leadi
ng WISE member Mr. Brandon Marion has just confirmed to speak at the American WISE Convention–August 7 – 10 in Burbank, California.
The Founder and Managing Partner of Aspen Private Capital, Mr. Marion has an extremely diverse background in both the private and public markets. Over the past 25 years he has worked internationally with hundreds of companies and individuals. He has managed billions of dollars worth of assets for his clients.
He will be speaking on how you can raise your level of prosperity so that you can realize your purposes in all areas of your life.
Register today for this groundbreaking convention by clicking here, or by calling +1 (323) 953-3310.
Sincerely,
Sakhi Guma
Executive Director
WISE Western United States
OMG, nobody could possibly want to miss this event now. Brandon Marion has confirmed!
Is it really possible they didn’t have their speakers lined up beforehand?
Just told hubby that Scientology has had so much demand for their services that they’re reducing prices. Two minutes later, he’s still cackling. Really tickled his funny bone. 😉
1. Understand the law of supply and demand.
2. Compose a professional pitch. Proper spelling and diction are non-negotiable prerequisites.
3. Failing to clear hurdles as rudimentary as 1 and 2 will make you look like the kind of idiot that no one will take seriously.
4. Absolutely no one will want to do business with an idiot that no one will take seriously
5. You do not have to join a cult to cover these bases. Nor should you pay big bucks to a “consulting” organization who finds even these basics elusive!
Isn’t Aspen the company that Tommy ‘Footbullet man’ Davis has been squirreled away at?
Austin. Sounds almost the same though…
Wish I had seen this and was able to comment earlier.
This is hilarious!
Brandon F%^ing Marion the keynote speaker?
This silver toungued sleaze bag did in fact have billions of dollars under management with his partner Ron Pollack. (though this is more than 10 years ago now).
Then the market took a dive and they LOST it all. But not before Brandon slipped enough out to make himself enourmously wealthy!
He is the PERFECT representation of scientology admin tech.
This is too perfect.
I wonder how many of the people getting this email had money invested in his old company?
Is there a current list of WISE guys around? I’d like to know whom I am dealing with in business and stay clear of them.
As soon as I saw the the bare bones site for Aspen Private Capital my, pardon the French, the bullshitometer went into the red zone. Then after, barely, making it to Managing Partner it went stratospheric. Racket, pure and simple.
Looks like Aspen PC invests in 3 companies: Pat Clouden CES, Doug Dohring abcmouse and Taron Untiedt Lexton TXL Films. All these CEOs are Scientologists….
Is this a convention or a fundraiser?
“Leading WISE member Mr. Brandon Marion has just confirmed to speak at the American WISE Convention–August 7 – 10 in Burbank, California.
The Founder and Managing Partner of Aspen Private Capital, Mr. Marion has an extremely diverse background in both the private and public markets. Over the past 25 years he has worked internationally with hundreds of companies and individuals. He has managed billions of dollars worth of assets for his clients.”
In other words, he is a successful loan shark. APPLAUSE!!!! Not that anyone in the Sea Org now would know about economics in the world they live in.
Joking about the applause.
Hi The Oracle, Like these posts.I love where the promo for Mr Marion says he has an extremely diverse background in both the private & public markets.Which means absolutely nothing! I am terrible with math & the ins & outs of WISE, but my late Dad was a highly successful investment mutual fund manager 1st @ one of the oldest m fund cos in Boston for 32 yrs where he was chairman for 10 before mandatory retirement. Very analytical & logical that drove me crazy @ times.But I know he would have called WISE a complete loan shark operation too.XO Ann B.
BARF!!!!
Gotta hand it to the Sea Org, making this wealthy prospect feel like a celebrity, wheeling him in as a guest speaker. The fact that he has access to funding is the cherry on top. Curious if he is handling David Miscavige’s $$$$ portfolio.
Hell, maybe he is investing for the I.A.S.. Church dollars “invested” are dollars LOANED at high interest rates. Wonder if the Church is loan sharking too? Profiting off of loans and funding. People work their entire lives to pay off mortgages that double and triple the cost of their home. That is how these lenders and funders get rich. Off of other people’s labor and sweat. Did you this is illegal in some countries? To lend and set people into 30 years contracts to pay you monthly stipend for the loan?
High roller David Wilson is lending $ to Scientologists at 15% interest rate. did you know that? That is illegal in THIS country!
Not illegal in the US. Stupid but not illegal.
http://www.yourlegalcorner.com/articles.asp?cat=biz&id=97
According to the punctuation, one can expect a small gathering: it’s billed repeatedly as a consultant’s conference as opposed to a consultants’ conference. It’s quality that counts, not quantity, right? One whale will do instead of a bunch of petty losers.
Brandon Marion….that’s the best ya got???
Brandon Marion, “founder and managing partner of Aspen Private Capital”…if I was a wealthy Aspen, Colorado resident looking for someone to manage my assets, I sure wouldn’t trust anyone affiliated with CoS!!!
I’m honest to God interested!! Goody goody!!!
I agree in part with Mike about the religious beliefs of scientology being no “odder” than of other religions.
All religions seem to have a deep need to offer an explanation to “how it all began” it’s called cosmology. Science currently has “the big bang” as a theory – religions go from space opera to Atlas standing on a turtle holding up the world.
What is IN the religion is how to live a life.
Surely it is obvious that religions build their “how to live” parts against a backdrop of the times, the culture, the haves and the have nots who want to be haves and are promised perhaps — better luck next time
THAT said — the HOW TO of most organized religions are shocking examples of how HUMAN we are. We want to be loved, admired, cared for, happy and not suffer. SO we cheat, lie, steal, commit adultery, and murder IN ORDER to be loved, admired, cared for, be happy and not suffer.
It’s rather sad yet very human.
I no longer feel that I can save the world. And believe me for 20 years plus many more AFTER I left – I did feel we/I could.
I no longer try to “save the world” — even in my own mind. I try to be kind. I try to make REAL connections with a few people and not through Facebook but in real life.
Each person on this blog does make a difference every day — we bring our own understanding of life into the world.
And tragically many people don’t have the time, inclination, to get up off the couch to even care.
Windhorse
It’s not the cosmology but the HOW TO LIVE A LIFE part that is so troubling in scientology.
Scientology is wholly materialistic in spite of thousands of pages to the contrary.
It is HOW to be bigger, better, more certain, never be HUMAN. And from this repetitive teachings we build monsters who say they are a person. Instead they are a non-human willing to trample whoever stands in their way.
AND lest we forget — at one time we were one of those “non-humans”
Ask yourself — did I ever side with someone I thought was a “better scieftologist” to the exclusion of someone else. Did I ever fire or cause to be fired someone who was a “downstat or PTS” – did I not go to the doctor for fear of being labeled PTS? Did I refuse medication when it potentially would have helped. Have I been in denial about certain very obvious (to others) afflictions.
It’s an almost endless list
So when we rant about some poor soul who is STILL on staff and who might never leave —
AT LEAST you got out with enough “time” left to rebuild a life or start a life and family.
Windhorse
You are right, but I think the Scientology cosmology could also be improved a lot.
The fact that they don’t even try proves to me that they are not a real religion but a mindless virus.
Hi Windhorse, Beautifully said. Thank you.Take Care.Ann B.
Hear, hear!
The Wiseguys ,aye carumba, they don’t have anything.
There is No there , there.
Name one success that they frequently dag out ,dust off for
show and tell who did not go bankrupt or have homes and business foreclosed
from using wiseguy tech includes jail time for any crime including life sentence for murder jumping off a bridge committing suicide.
Hi Mike,I meant Candice.Old age & bad typing.Always Ann B.
Hi Mike,I thought your second post to Cathy was excellent.That is exactly the reason I got into so much hot water in the SO to begin with.I never cared what anyone wanted to believe except Satanism & S & M just can’t stomach those.But I felt why do I have to wring out the last penny from the public to go up the Bridge & then force them to refi their houses & cars when they obviously had nothing left @ all.Then when the higher arm twisting come out & there were suicides & disconnection for loved ones who left & still had family in & when those I loved in The SO started getting hurt & then when I was thrown to the wolves, that is when I too felt things were very very dark & twisted. You do so much with this blog for us all.Love your posts.Always Ann B.
I’m so glad there is someplace I can go to get my vectors aligned. Two tables for 10, please!
🙂
I guess I’m going to have to pay full tilt cuz I don’t know five let alone 10 people that would pay a penny to go to a WISE meeting of any kind. Come on Sakhi, just make it free for all and see how close you get to 1000.
Me: (pointing and laughing obnoxiously)
WISE: We’re winning!
Me: (pointing and laughing obnoxiously)
Here’s the thing about WISE that makes it even more vulnerable to going down in flames than Narconon or Scientology practice itself: there are objective criteria that you can look at to see whether the “tech” works.
The WISE actions often produce some increase in profitability over the first year or two when people adopt their stuff. Often, but not always… But that’s because they typically tend to be done in two main ways. The first is all about cutting costs unsustainably. Fire tons of staff who don’t “boom their stats” for a week or two and you’ll feel like you’re a real tough guy, a guy who can “postulate” and then make things happen. Unfortunately, that is never a sustainable approach to running a business. Only a small percentage of people in any business are rock stars, so part of the art of management is keeping the average “pluggers” happy. Even if they leave, they’re getting stuff done that moves the company forward. Only a small percentage of people are so ineffective that they need to be fired at any one time.
The other, and far more dangerous, way that WISE boosts business in the short term but kills it in the long term is by “pulling business forward” by getting prepayment for services, like cosmetic dental treatment plans. Scientology’s “admin tech” contains some very slippery accounting because it treats pre-payments for services as revenue and profit when the money is received. But in any legitimate accounting operation, it’s a liability, money you’re holding onto for customers, which you may have to return.
So if you’re a dentist accepting a $20,000 up-front payment for cosmetic procedures, you can’t legitimately spend that money because it’s not yours until you actually provide the services. If you over-sell pre-payments, spend the money (whether you keep it yourself or donate it to Scientology), and then can’t deliver the service for whatever reason, you are legally liable to return the money. Your business can be forced into bankruptcy and in some cases, you can be held personally liable for returns of deposits. And if you deliver a service two years later but you spent the money up front, you aren’t getting in new money to pay your staff. You have to cover that out of other business. And your profits get hit by a lot.
Net result: I’d be extremely surprised if on a five-year basis businesses using WISE principles make as much money as they would have if they did nothing. The problem here is that you can look at your records and see that you’re not making as much money. It’s not like auditing, where you can convince yourself that you got vague, nebulous “wins” in your last ten intensives, even though they are nothing like the “wins” you may have gotten early in your Scientology career that got you hooked on the cult in the first place.
In other words, you can easily deny the point of diminishing returns with auditing, but it’s a lot harder to fool yourself when you’re the victim of a WISE scam, especially when the dishwasher goes out and you don’t have the money to fix it but you sure remember that it was never a problem before.
“Scientology’s “admin tech” contains some very slippery accounting because it treats pre-payments for services as revenue and profit when the money is received. But in any legitimate accounting operation, it’s a liability, money you’re holding onto for customers, which you may have to return.”
Sheer idiocy.
“This special is being offered to increase the attendance at this convention. We will have 1,000 people there.”
This sounds to me like he is really saying, “Oh no, hardly anyone is signing up! I better do something like drop the price, but how do I do that while pretending that everything is great?” I can just see the fake smile plastered on his face. When you have a clue about what is really going on behind the curtain, it’s more transparent.
Thanks Mike for helping so many get a clue.
Will there be food? A SWAG bag? Anything of tangible value?
It all depends how you regard the inflamed rectal tissue you’ll have after the WISE regges get through with you.
At least it’s something!
I did a survey once for a client and WISE called me out of the blue and told me I owed them $4500 immediately or I would be declared as a suppressive person and expelled from the Church of Scientology for the high crime of “Unauthorized Use of the Materials of Dianetics and Scientology”.
I worked them down to paying royalties for the use of the Marketing Series out of the Management Volume for $35.
It seemed like such an entheta cycle to me. I was keyed in and introverted from it all. Every time I thought it was extortion, I knew that I was just nattering and I needed to write up my overts and withholds to LRH and Scientology.
Alanzo
Well done Alanzo for getting them down to $35. Even though paying to use some policy letters is the extreme in extortion, you got out without much damage to your checkbook.
Alanzo, I’m confused. The Marketing Series is in one of the Management Volumes, I forget which one. Anyone can buy the Management Volumes and learn to design a survey, and use your survey on people so long as no LRH trademark names are used without WISE’s permission, (something you pay for, as I understand). How can WISE prevent anyone from doing this? These Vols are on sale in orgs, or used to be.
Yes. I had the same confusion.
Apparently, paying for the book is not enough. If you are going to use the book to make money, then you owe royalties on the book.
And those royalties must go to WISE.
This makes perfect sense, as long as you have no MUs, overts, or withholds, and are in an ethics condition that is above Danger, and you are not in the middle of any course or auditing action, and you are above 2.0 on the tone scale.
Otherwise, you just don’t get it, your soul is a blackened clinker, and it’s the dwindling spiral for you.
Alanzo
Unbelievable.
What ever happened to making the tech your own? Hubbard’s last words.
There is nothing more ridiculous than a scientologists interpretation of Hubbard or anyone else for that matter.
The able = those that don’t have to rely on blaming others for fuckups.
I would have told him to play in the freeway.
Hi John Locke, Thank you for laughter with my coffee this AM.XO Ann B.
Okay, the $400 ticket price isn’t changing so don’t make an offer of, say, 75 cents for instance in the hope of dickering things down. Thanks for the heads-up on that but I question the wisdom of introducing the notion that saving money is a desirable thing. That could set into motion a train of ideas that would undo Miscavige’s attempts to exterminate all rational thought. Better to not entice people with the saving of a little bit of money lest they stumble upon the idea of saving a LOT of money and we all know where that leaves David Miscavige. Better to entice them with the promise of MISTER Brandon Marion whose trophy wife looks like she’s not about to let go of a good thing.
Hi Roger,She sure is hanging on for dear life,but in her case best to untangle herself before her mind if there is one left becomes cos mush after listening to David Miscavige & company.Love the back drop too.XO Annb.
Oh man Sakhi Guma. There is a blast from the past. Technically he is from Africa because he was born there but he grew up in Texas since he was 2 so there really isn’t any excuse for the poor English or all the typos. He went to decent schools too. But he is one of the few people I know who has held the same post through everything for over 20 years now. They must be starting to put more pressure on WISE now. Since the Narconon domino has almost finished burning to the ground WISE will no doubt be the next one to go up in flames.
A consultant says, “I am from the World Institute of Scientology Enterprises and I am here to help you with your business.”
I bet that’s going to open up some doors.
I bet the response rate for this sort of door-to-door sales campaign would be less than the response rate for those perverts who go door-to-door claiming to be doctors and offering women free breast exams. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/12/phillip-winikoff_n_1007273.html
A lot of small business owners are desperate. One company I used to buy from got sold a business plan from a consultant. The business plan told them to aim at the consumer market through stores like Home Depot.
Problem was the product was a better fit for repair depots, which was what I was buying it for. I told them that, but since that wasn’t what the consultant said, I was ignored. And the company went belly up.
So something like WISE can get in the door more often than you’d think possible, because it promises a solution to a problem (low sales).
The real solution to low sales is defining your product, and it’s market, a simple concept that all too many startups find beyond them.
In the meantime, I’ve added a note to my files never to deal with ‘Aspen Private Capital’.
“I am from the World Institute of Scientology Enterprises and I am here to help you with your business.”
Then the shower curtain is thrown back and the knife goes up and down and up and down…
🙂
If a WISE consultant ever said that to me I’d be ROTFLMAO for hours on end. At some point, I believe he might get my point, but, after laughing for several hours and him still being there, I would show him the OT 3 materials.
Were it me, I’d call the guys in the white suits.
But a real WISE guy…I’m afraid you’ll be subject to touch assists. After all, he’s the only one who can help….
For hours on end, too.
Good handling. WISE consultants need to learn a few tricks from the “top jockey” of spiritual ladder scams! Maybe a former WISE member’s paper at some upcoming new religion conference on the subject of how the Xenu story caused all human beings’ “body thetan” problems and how Hubbard’s Scientology OT levels 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 exorcism will get rid of a person’s “body thetans” and how building a militaristic totalitarian rules system bureaucracy and closed system to the clients (followers) is “successful actions” that should be shared to the broad public to use in their business!
Maybe all businesses need some secret sauce and heavy penalty rules for doling out their secret sauce.
Hubbard’s/Scientology’s secret sauce really starts up with the “OT levels”, their famous “Operating Thetan” levels where it’s implied one learns one’s real paces as a “thetan” (soul astronaut).
Hubbard’s best business advice is turn yourself into a new religion so you can more credibly hide your secret “OT” sauce.
Hi Chuck Beatty, Love love your post.Secret Sauce & Soul Astronaut gave me a great Sun AM laugh.The problem is however that what you wrote is so very true.Take Care Ann B.
Which is why they don’t say that. They start by selling management “training” and you know that a “communications” course is right around the corner… As soon as a board member signs up as a victim of the mind-fuck perpetrated by the criminal organisation known as the “church” of $cientology, that’s the business done for, all moneys disappearing off into “donations.”
http://tonyortega.org/2014/07/25/french-prosecutors-investigating-employers-forcing-scientology-on-workers/
I love those doors opening as evidence for the IRS to follow to apply Regulation 1.501(c) (3) -1 (c) (1) ‘….more than an insubstantial part of its activities……will cause failure of the operational test….Better Business Bureau of Washington D.C. vs United States, 326 U.S. 279 (1945) .
OMG !!! I almost peed my pants on this one Mike. W= Were I=Intellectually S= Stupid E=Examples in the Bossiness Sector of The Cult . OOpsie I mean Business. But, we are superior in teaching you how to run your company and make more money so we can reg you to death for more money for the Cult. And, if you don’t make more money, its not our fault. We will then send you to the Ethics Officer so we can find who is suppressing your lines. CoS motto ” We Never Do Anything Wrong Only the People Inside Our Church Do “.
The challenges of trying to sell Hubbard’s hype solutions for the world is real.
Hubbard’s hype is unreal.
At least once trounced and blamed by the Hubbard system, these hopeful Hubbard hype team members become WISEer ex-,members.
Hopefully Sakhi Guma someday becomes a WISer knowledgeable and talkative ex member.
Call or email Tony Ortega Sakhi, when you get out!
“raging insanity of our current society” – this immediately tells me Sakhi Guma is either a Sea Org member or is a permanent denizen of the Scn bubble, or possibly both. As a proud member of our current society, I can attest that it is neither raging nor insane. As a former member of the church of scientology I can attest the cult society within the church IS raging AND insane. It is the only organization I’ve encountered that worked long and hard to break-up my marriage and destroy my family.
WISE is Scn’s Mafia. Nothing but a shakedown racket. I once had a WISE Sea Org member tried to sell me a membership. I told her I did not use Scn Admin Tech in my business. She asked if I used ARC with my clients; I told her “of course”. She insisted that I owed 10% of my income to WISE since I was using “the tech” to make money.
WISE’s membership will ONLY EVER consist of Scnists, because no sane person would agree to their terms. And like any Scn-related group, their numbers are dwindling and they are facing extinction.
“She insisted that I owed 10% of my income to WISE since I was using “the tech” to make money.”
Classic Scientology mafia in operation. Get in the way of a “GI cycle” and they attack you like junkyard dogs who haven’t eaten in a week.
Likening WISE’s money grubbing strategems to the desperate behavior of starving junkyard dogs is an insult – to junkyard dogs. Please apologize, Doug P. 🙂
To be fair, they probably haven’t eaten in a week.
Hi Thomas Weeks, I can personally second you post. In my long ago SO days if any SHSBC public bought us slaves some treats they were gone in 5 seconds! Take Care Ann B.
Statpush….that 10% of your income for using ARC is very funny. If you would have said no you still would have owed her 10% of your income for not using the tech.
There is another state besides natural clear…..natural arrogant, condescending stupid asshole clear. I have seen many of those floating around Scn since the early ’70’s….far too many. In fact I’m sure the girl you were talking to has attested to that natural state. Scn. is a perfect fit for people like that.
To me, it’s another example of the Sea Org poisoning an activity with their “unreasonableness”, “toughness”, low or no ARC; beings naturally reject this type of behavior. Yet, this is their “ideal” operating state. For this reason alone they will fail. Unfortunately, as they fail they destroy many lives in the process.
There is absolutely no reason why WISE cannot operate as a purely altruistic business society. No membership fees, no course fees; just there for the good of the business community. It just isn’t in their DNA.
MIke – I watched Going Clear last night and was so saddened by the culture but then read in an Atlantic article that you still believe Scientology can lead people into understanding the truth about life – is that true?
Don’t even recall any Atlantic article? THere is a LOT I have written on this blog that lays out my views, which have certainly evolved over time.
The link is here: http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/03/its-not-easy-being-scientology/388634/ – The quote I’m curious about is here: Rinder still maintains that Scientology “can help guide one to fundamental truths about existence, happiness and one’s true nature and identity.”
My main question is: Is this quote true? I’ve been reading Marty’s blog too (again, I only saw the movie last night, so haven’t been able to read too deeply) but I can’t understand his spiritual beliefs at all. How have yours evolved? Feel free to direct me to another post as well . Thanks!
Yeah, I think they took that from a statement on the blog from several years ago. It was not a current interview.
I would say that quote is partly true — I dont think everything about the principles of scientology are wrong. After all, many match concepts of far older belief systems. I think there is workability to some of scientology. But the organized religion aspect of it should all be abolished. So too anything that is secret. So too anything that requires a lot of money. It should all be readily available and people can use and apply it as they wish. And it will live and die based on whether there is anything workable contained in it. It does not matter what my opinion of it is. and it never has and never will.
My issue is with the abuses perpetrated in its name and theoretically in pursuit of its Aims. Not with anyone’s beliefs — they can believe anything they want. There is nothing in scientology that is inherently any more unbelievable or strange than other religions. The virgin birth is simply more widely known for a longer time. So too Joseph Smith’s golden tablets. Or the many Gods of the Hindus etc etc
But it seems almost inevitable when “belief” is “organized” it seeks to dominate and control. It has been the basis for most wars on earth, the Inquisition and extermination of entire populations.
That is the best I can do to summarize my views in a few sentences.
Hi Mike, So very true what you said about your views evolving over time.When I first wrote you I still had a tiny bit of after taste of that Kool Aid, but now is all that garbage out of my system.Yes some still haunts but now I will go to battle for those still in to see the light of escape.Remember when we were all in we could only evolve our thoughts to Ron or David Miscavige’s Worlds.A Prison of Belief indeed! Always Ann B.
Mike — Thanks for sharing your current views clearly and succinctly. Much appreciated.
“But it seems almost inevitable when “belief” is “organized” it seeks to dominate and control. It has been the basis for most wars on earth, the Inquisition and extermination of entire populations.”
This is about the sanest statement I’ve ever seen written in this scientology as well as other so called religious sagas. well said Mike.
The hate response to “everything” scientology/Hubbard is as silly as banning Christmas because it’s Christian. Not ALL things are bad. But the all too common phenomena of more than 3 people getting together to believe something spiritual and the resulting movement all too often goes haywire with domination and or impending violence or threats especially when lots of money/power gets involved. How many wars have there been in the name or pretence of religion?
I’ve never clashed with so many people who apparently know far more about how negative everything scientology is than I do, yet it helped me straighten my life out and pulled me out of despair, am I expected to accept that getting better because of auditing is a terrible thing? The group dysfunction and corruption of organised Scientology is the plainest thing to see yet small groups in Idaho and Australia seem capable of applying it without the corruption. Early days perhaps?
Personally, I’ve always tried to maintain the same manners in net communication as I would if I was standing in front of the person I’m communicating with – a courtesy sadly lacking in lots of forums.
Sanity does have something to do with differentiation but that’s only my opinion.
Your reply is heartfelt.
Humans are always changing. Our lives are always changing.
No one who is in their 30s wants to be held to the statements they made made in their teens.
You lived for decades in a thought controlling organization.
In a way, you are similar to a person who was addicted to a drug, in thought control / thought stopping association that held you back from maturing in ways that many of us never ins endured.
A person in recovery from addiction has a great deal of “maturity intellect” to learn (my term – I am not sure others may name it)
You and everyone else, no matter if you escaped a cult or not, are allowed to change our minds. We are allowed to be different people comparing one age to another. Ideally, we become more empathic and compassionate.
That said, I work for the removal of tax exempt of Co$ by the IRS as I believe that is the only way to end the scam.
Mike – Great statement of views. I appreciate the update too. My view of Scientology is simply that it is Scn and points to life itself. I think I go with McEnroe’s irreverence for the establishment and authority … I say to God, and Life: “You can’t be serious!” I mean, WTF were You thinking, God?!! You Created a bunch of beings who don’t know what a being is, and can’t define life to save their Eternities!! Then you just wash Your hands of the Whole Deal, and leave us to cope (cope) it out for ourselves? Man ….And there’s no choice? What happened to freedom of choice? Randy Newman got it right, too, in “God’s Song.” The song ends with God saying, “That’s why I love mankind … you really neeeeed Me!” And no phone number for God, either. No Twitter account. No written text. It’s like the guy doesn’t even stay current! I mean, if the FDA were actually good … they’d have product liability law suits piled up to the Heavens on this! Thing is, we can’t FIND God. And so we displace “God” to – in our brilliance – other people. Like “Blaming anyone is better than blaming no one at all.” Why does the word “blame” exist in so many languages? Huh? Answer me that! We have, as “mankind” displaced responsibility onto someone, anyone. And still do. And we substitute some guru’s sayings for God, as if one of US were going to be smart enough to give us guidance, live our life for us or something. Tell us how to make coffee, whom to marry, what to believe. Now that’s dumb. We substitute “belief” for looking at the facts. The scary thing is that it is each individual’s responsibility to look. Which is what Scn tries to get one to do. If any of us beings can be called “wise” (a bit of a stretch, but relatively speaking), then wise men have been talking and preaching and exhorting for ages. Hubbard took Freud’s work and doped out that you can, really, talk forever to someone and they may or may not get it, and will go on doing what they think is best in most cases – and too often someone gets really irate and determines for themselves that murdering someone else is “best,” or calculates that what is theirs should be taken as one’s own, because that’s more equitable at the moment. The word “regret” exists, too. So there is something or some things “wrong” with us. The goal is to get someone (anyone!) to look for themselves. Which is what auditing is about. **Clearing up the upsets of the past and gaining ability to face the future** (that’s a paraphrase of LRH, I think the EP for Grade IV). I don’t recall much about LRH promising “You will be happy with all this Life stuff.” More like, “perhaps happiness.” I can definitely see how that might come to pass, happiness, that is – which Aristotle also discussed happiness, in what most of the rest of us would consider to be “some depth,” But Life apparently requires, for real, a pretty high level of responsibility. And that is freedom. One really cannot have freedom if all is done for one, and one has no responsibility. That would be bo-o-o-ring after a few billion years, and it would be finite, a Finite Creation. Responsibility and freedom and all, are part of God’s Creation, here. Sartre got it right about there being “No Exit.” It is apparently an Infinite Creation, and each single one of us plays a part in it. Responsibility and freedom cannot be displaced onto someone else. Why does the word “freedom” have such broad and such deeply moving appeal? Perhaps some fine day, millions or billions of years into the future, or maybe for some much sooner, if we are all still willing to talk to each other at all (joke), we can all look back on where we’ve been as if we had been in some kind of drugged stupor. As Hubbard wrote, “Life is in you today, and you make your own tomorrows.” It isn’t Hubbard and Scn that people protest about, really … it is Life itself many protest, and we apparently aren’t sure we got a square deal on, in my opinion. Some people would call me (under their breath) stupid as heck for not seeing the beauty of it all. I do see the beauty of it all … if one could only figure out the right way to experience and live it. If one can do that … oh, Life is far beyond spectacularly beautiful. The aesthetics of it are overwhelming. If one can ascribe intent to God, I guess one could say that He in effect let us discover how bad it can be, if we do not take responsibility, and left it for us to discover how incredibly good it can be, if we do take responsibility. People talk about faith in God, when perhaps they might consider that God had faith in us. Looking at what we’ve collectively done so far, one might even say He had Immeasurable faith in us. Scientology just gives facts, and points in the right direction – is my view. Not everyone likes that, but the more I look at it, the simpler and more obvious it all becomes, and Scientology becomes increasingly transparent. Something like a chess puzzle – once you see the right move, it’s so obvious! But try to win a chess game against a GM, and it’s not so simple, even for another GM. Scientology is easy to deal with. Life is not quite as easy – if it were, we would all be gurus with the right answers, would we not? What has happened with the church is a tragedy, at best. And you and others are doing a wonderful, courageous, job of exposing that infamy. But the church is not, in my view, Scientology. It dangles the workability of Scientology as the “bait,” but the “hook” is that you can’t have it. Scientology is not Life itself. Lie is one’s own to live. Scientology tries to make Life easier, or even possible, and in my view, it does that. All Scientology can do is point to facts, and hope that those facts somehow get across in the communication. All of the above expresses my views, deductions, and perhaps opinions as well, and is not entirely in keeping with the purpose of your web site.
Mike, totally agree with your statement that “when belief is organized it seeks to dominate and control”, I would just add that the thing that has soured me on organized religion is the whole “we’re right and everyone else is wrong” attitude, specifically about who is right with whatever Supreme Being exists and gets that ticket to the afterlife…a good example is the insufferably smug Duggar family, who essentially dismiss their son’s criminal actions because he’s one of the good guys, a true “forgiven Christian”. A lot of positive things about genuine spirituality get completely corrupted in the hands of organized religion!!
Hi Kathy H, & having lived in Baton Rouge LA for 20 yrs it is a wonder Walter & I still have our sense of humor with the amount of Sun do as I say not as I do Christians floating around here.At least the food is fabulous the weather not like my home town of Boston Mass was this winter & the living is cheap! BTW a tiny mission here that no one went to considering all the Catholics , love Mardi Gras though,& Baptists here ,put a big piece in the paper that they had bought a bigger piece of real estate next to the I 10 12 corridor huge truck route to Los Angeles because they were going to take advantage of all the new foot traffic.Yeah all the truckers & those of us wandering the mass of speeding traffic will be sure to stop in.Having only known SO ASHO F I can’t say what this mission is like but I bet very far from Ideal or anything else.Take Care Ann B.
Sakhi Guma is expecting to do some post convention lower conditions and amends.
If you see Sakhi glumly walking the HGB building’s stairwells rather than riding in the elevator, then you know why.
It’s so impossible to sell L. Ron Hubbard’s solutions to the world.
I hope Sakhi takes this upcoming guaranteed failed convention opportunity to blow WISE WUS staff and return to normal world jobs and life.
All these dismal events Scientology fails at ever getting near their hype about their hopes, at least provides FAIL experiences that drive the hopeful back down from Hubbard’s hype world, and back to normal lives.
This sounds like one of the many “slam dunk” events, where you advertise it and then figure out how to deliver it. This is hysterical. The elementary school near my house puts on bigger events that these morons.
Interesting choice of picture for Mr. Marion. Not only a successful businessman but a happy man with a beautiful setting in the background and a trophy on his arm.
Yeah…and you should see his client list. I’m thinking he’s been lowering his prices, too, at Aspen.
yes stepford wife at best. She got through OT7 quickly because there is nothing to erase.
Hi Pete2,Your post is classic. Thank you. Ann B.
Pete2 I thought of Stepford Wife as well when I saw the WISE pic. I wonder though if DM is scared, worried or even interested that he and his particular form of COS is about to crash? Or is he too freaking rich to even care?
Those gooses actually believe they are salvaging society and mankind… unfrigginbelievable!
The kings of statistical management couldn’t plot a straight line line between two points without falling off the page. Of all the scientology group fuck ups, wise leads the way and even their own sheeple avoid it.
As John Mcenroe says “you can’t be serious!”
Sakhi, After nearly 20 years, shouldn’t you be smelling the coffee?
I have always been suspicious of the efficacy of WISE, even before I knew Scientology was a cult. It is just another front group who can take your money while steering you into the cult. Not a vey good picture.
Sincerely,
Sakhi Guma
Executive Director
WISE Western United States
LMAO! The American S.O. members are fleeing off of the sinking scn ship.
and no doubt Sakhi has many years of experience starting and managing businesses in the culture of the West US.
Mike: “(not an ice cream’s chance in hell of that happening)” I do so love your picturesque descriptive phrases. They always bring a smile.
Ready, fire, aim.
Yup, sounds like 100% on source to me.
I think sucha goombah needs a little help.
🙂
Yes WISE certainly understand the basic priniciple of Supply and Demand. When in high demand, lower the prices. I could understand it (lowering the prices) if it were a religion and you wanted mankind to broadly get this spiritual awakening but WISE … Oh wait … Is it …
Makes sense they have a foreigner running WISE. Poor guy – wait until no one shows up. He thinks he is postulating when he states 1,000.
I bet he is brand new and under the influence of “saving the planet”. He will end up in the HOLE or RPF for sure because he will pull in NO ONE.
WISE has been dead for a very long time.
When I first got involved in Scientology – they were nasty. They hound people for money and give nothing back in return. I saw their booklets and crap and decided I did not need that clogging up my space and declined to join.
No one will have anything to do with them except a few members inside the cult.
Scientology is not only dead – it is rotting and stinks. It is repulsive.
Idle, Sakhi Guma has been around for some time — at least 15 years that I know of. He held that post back in the early 2000’s before I left.