In the face of pretty much unanimous condemnation of Miscavige and scientology for their heavy-handed assault on the city and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, scientology paid for this press release. It is apparently the best they can come up with.
I don’t have much time to point out the obvious flaws in this “story” — but I trust the commenters here to do just as good a dissection of this drivel as I would.
CLEARWATER, Fla., April 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Church of Scientology’s Information Center in Downtown Clearwater announces that its doors are open to religious studies students to learn about one of the world’s fastest growing religions. The center is open from 10am-9:30pm Monday through Wednesday, 10am-8pm Thursday & Friday, and 1pm-9:30pm Saturdays and Sundays.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ed16dbd5-4ad8-4dbb-a8d5-fa5aabe237eb
Since the beginning of the New Year, the center has welcomed several groups of students from some of the St. Pete College Campuses for their comparative religions classes, as well as students from out of state visiting Clearwater for vacation. A student from Georgia also called in to do an interview about Scientology for her school article and was also assisted with information for her assignment.
“We’re happy to answer questions and provide information for the community. There really aren’t any ‘dumb questions.’ This center is a great location where anyone is able to find out for themselves and was established for that reason,” said Information Center Manager, Amber Skjelset.
As an example, during the last “Blast Friday” several students walked into the center asking Ms. Skjelset, “Would it be OK if I asked you a few questions?” The student added he originally was a member of the Nation of Islam and that they were all interested in learning about Scientology for their class. The other young men were from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, each with their own list of questions for their assignments.
Ms. Skjelset helped provide basic information from the center’s gallery of exhibits which contain videos presentations about basic concepts of Dianetics, Scientology, Churches around the world and the life of Mr. L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology’s founder.
“Wow! This was so helpful! Thank you so much for your time answering our questions – we really appreciate it,” said the students, who each received a DVD, “Introduction to Scientology,” a videoed interview of L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology’s founder, answering common questions about Scientology.
The Center welcomes individuals and classes to visit daily with no appointment necessary. For more information please contact Amber Skjelset, Manager of the Scientology Information Center, at 727-467-6966 or e-mail her at amber@cos.flag.org.
About the Church of Scientology:
The Scientology religion was founded by humanitarian and philosopher, L. Ron Hubbard. The first Church of Scientology was formed in the United States in 1954 and has expanded to more than 11,000 churches, missions and affiliated groups, with millions of members in 167 nations. Scientologists are optimistic about life and believe there is hope for a saner world and better civilization, and actively do all they can to help achieve this. Based on L. Ron Hubbard’s words, “A community that pulls together can make a better society for all.”
Photo caption: Visitors enjoy the welcome at the Scientology Information Center in downtown Clearwater, Florida
That whole section about “students” has the well known stink of $camology fiction. Tacked on at the end was usual, and very very very tired, bullshit spiel about the cherch of dollarology. Move on, nothing to see here but inevitable slide into obscurity of a never was “religion.”
Ask ANY question? … Uhm … OK … So after spending years and years and hundreds of thousands of dollars auditing out your thousands of body thetans … wouldn’t your NEXT body come fully equipped with thousands more?
“Ask ANY question” OK. Where’s Shelly?
As I understand it, a person’s BTs have been with him lifetime after lifetime. If they have been freed, they wouldn’t return the next lifetime.
However, based on other spiritual teachings, there might be different BTs that attach to a person after NOTs is completed, and in the next lifetime. But this depends on the person’s spiritual state.
Is there a “Delete Button” on the “E Machine” that rids the person being audited of these so called body thetans? WHERE do these expunged body thetans GO, once you’re rid of them?
Poof…..says the expunged former Body Thetan…..it’s back in space for me maybe???
“How much room and board should I charge my Thetans?”
The problem with trying to educate the public about Scientology is Hubbard’s writings have pretty much been leaked, showing Hubbard’s duplicity in now allowing fully study of the “confidential” theory of Hubbard’s.
IN my years of being a staffer I never got to OT 3, so never knew the whole theory of even the Scientology supposed religion.,
That was extremely frustrating and I’d say it is almost universal for ex Scientologists who never got to OT 3 and learned of Xenu and the “body-thetan” case problems that everyone has to deal with, that when ex’s got out, they boned up on what their “religion” was all about.
It’s information control for long term staff and members never to learn the full theory of their “religion.”
The information centers that supposedly blah, blah, blah and supposedly explain Scientology won’t explain it all.
The “upper level case” problems of people isn’t allowed to be told publicly.
Only ex members and thankfully Wikipedia gives what the “upper OT levels 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7” are about.
The Xenu engrams explains why “body-thetans” are even an “OT case” problem that is dealth with on OT 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.
It’s so sad Scientology persists in claiming they are being informative about their own “religion” when in fact only the outside world is being fully informative about Scientology’s theory of the upper part of Scientology.
How can any Scientologist claim to be defining and describing Scientology unless they simply explain Xenu for who he was and explain how the Xenu engram (the Wall of Fire is just the first part of the whole 4th Dynamic Engram) and how that big engram caused the “body-thetan” problem and that today OT 3, 4, 5 6 and 7 is all about dealing with a person’s “OT case” which is their load of “body-thetans” which OT 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 remove that “case” from a person. All supposedly, but how can anyone claim to give full simple information about Scientology without putting Xenu in context with the spiritual case that is supposedly dealt with?
Scientology is default NOT informative about their spiritual practices.
The outside world is caught up, and is more informative about the full doings of Scientology.
Right on, son. The students should just copy and paste your entire post to present the truth, but they’d be failed for plagiarism. I myself would give them an A+.
I didn’t get to OT III, either, but learned early that that level caused massive body problems. Our “mission holder”(actually, more of a hippy commune’s “guru”) was always trying to find some way to get her body in enough control that she could function. A public OTIII had similar problems I didn’t know it was BTs until recently, but knew SOMEthing was wrong with that level….
L. Ron. Hubbard’s teachings are complete bullshit. OT III doesn’t cause body problems, or anything.
If they were experiencing any “body problems” they were fully psychosomatic. Their belief in BT’s caused the problems, not the BT’s.
My son wrote a paper on Scientology for his college freshman Philosophy class. He actually went to the local org, told them he was researching Scientology for his term paper and asked to speak to someone about the religion. What he got was hours of videos and then what he immediate recognized as a sales pitch. He asked repeatedly for a brief explanation of the fundamental beliefs of the religion. Each time he was told to watch another video, offered a book to buy or a course to take. He left after a few hours and wrote his paper after some online research and described his experience. He says the Church of Scientology is definitely a cult where people really don’t seem to understand what they are involved in themselves. It relies on bait and switch and heavy sales pressure to get people to ignore the lack of information about the religious philosophy. So visiting college students are not really the benefit that they think they are. These students are being taught to look closely and examine, test, and reach conclusions – everything that Scientology actively prohibits by its members. Also, a freshman in college is likely better educated than most Scientology staff members.
Your son deserves an A+ for the observation that ” Scientology is a cult where people really don’t seem to understand what they are involved in themselves.”
That’s exactly right. I keep making sure that I don’t lump Scientologists in with DM and others in charge. The followers may be blind, but they are good hearted, decent, hardworking people that believe they are making a difference. It’s tragic what is being done to these people. It’s nothing short of spiritual rape.
Kudos to you, for raising such an astute young man, who is able to have enough common sense to recognize a sales pitch from a cult when it happens to him. I’ll bet you are proud. You deserve to be.
That really is the jist of wha ha ha about CoS. It is like anytime anyone asked them a direct question they angrily obfuscate and say “Go read a book!” Can they not say what it is they have found that has given them such poise and power and contentment in their lives? I know of several religious people of other persuasions who will bend your ear for hours discussing the wonderful ramifications they have had in taking up Jesus or Yahweh or Mohamed, Budda, etc. Xenu seems to function as a closed gate way where someone asks for a password, you have to already know to get in to find out all there is. No one can talk about any of it outside of their own “level”. And the higher the rank you achieve the less you get to discuss openly with anyone. Now while I agree religion and faith are deeply felt personal matters, man there are people going door to door trying to get people to join their church, they got pamphlets and plans of meet and greets and come on in and sing with us come ones, sometimes they even offer coffee and doughnuts.
COS: no coffee, no doughnuts, no come on in and sing with us hooks, just watch a video read a book. I read 1984, Animal Farm, Slaughter House Five, Logan’s Run, Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451 and The Time Machine… Did they mean those books? Are those books pretty accurate on CoS policy, procedure and beliefs? Or just the end result?
What! No questions about Lord Xenu? The “tour” just wouldn’t be complete without Xenu…..I’m sure islam would cut off his head, along with Little davey’s if the Opportunity ever presented itself!
My new favorite.
Big hello from LRHs Bulgravia.
I love the blah, blah, blah, and that’s just what it is.
“…humanitarian and philosopher, L.Ron Hubbard.”
I don’t know whether to laugh or puke.
Oh, yeah, don’t forget… he was a war hero too. Bwah-hah-ha-hah-hah-ha-ha.
I know, right?
Uh, didn’t the student from the Nation Of Islam know that Louis Farrakhan is a Diabetics auditor and that Farrakhan has called all NOI members to become likewise?
Hmmmm. Looks like we need to read “The Final Call” more often.
Sorry, I mean Dianetics auditor. Damn spell checker!
IMHO the Nation of Islam is only interested in the auditing – to find out who lies & who doesn’t. Louis Farrakhan being an auditor is so he can protect his own little dynasty by use of cult tactics & “cans” ….just as CoS does….he wants that same devotion!
On Thursday after two ………. they have to count their stats. On Friday they have to handle their lower conditions and list their marks for the upcoming week.
Clearly Ms. Skjelset didn’t inform the students about Xenu. They would have laughed as we all do. Maybe she doesn’t even know yet.?
Most amusing that the Church is putting out press releases on this insignificant tripe as an attempt to generate “positive PR” when at the same time:
1. The fact it was investigated for human trafficking is now publicly confirmed and in the public eye.
2. It is blatantly sandbagging against a federal judge’s orders as part of refusing to follow its own policy on refunds and repayments.
3. It is doubling down on stupid, self-defeating attacks against CW Aquarium and the County Commission over the CW Aquarium, creating its own worst PR at a mad rate.
4. Has members getting arrested for false imprisonment/kidnapping (Tennessee story).
This is reported all in one day on Tony Ortega’s blog.
But no problem, the Church has blown all that away because it hosts some students of religious studies and even gives some sort of self-serving answer to their questions.
Maybe the next group of students should ask about points 1-4 above, and we’ll see how those are answered.
I made a comment, Mike, which instantly bounced up to the beginning.
Thursday is “stat day” at 2 pm. Friday is “punishment day” for failure to increase one’s stats. 🙂
I’m sorry, but the whole press release just sort of vanished the moment I read the bumf at the end: “humanitarian and philosopher L. Ron Hubbard”. That’s because at that moment, my mind took a one-way trip on the ROFLCopter to Target Two and a Half.
And “there aren’t any dumb questions”? Really? About Scientology? How about this for a dumb question: do you really believe that the Hawaiian and Canary Islands existed seventy-five million years ago?
No one is getting fooled by the Scientology Info Center except for the public scientologists. ‘Going Clear’ was one of the offered reading materials for a religious studies/Ethics class at a local university when it first came out. Students use Google all the time. This is just a part of the smoke and mirrors show for the followers and basic PR for the public, nothing else as usual.
I can just imagine the response I’d get if I took them up on their offer and walked through their doors all smiley like…
“Hi, I studied Scientology professionally for a decade or more, audited others in what would probably be in the 1000’s of hours. I’ve supervised countless students and run co-audits, did counselling of all types etc and was a dutiful staff member until I was forced out the door for insisting I get fair treatment in return for the exchange I was owed and was expecting by the somewhat rather large amount of money I invested with your organisation. But then, to my surprise I had all my certificates cancelled and was expected/ordered to do it all again, plus purchase the same materials I’ve already bought, twice before. Overall, I’ve known about the subject since the 80s, studying it extensively and I also achieved some of its highest technical statuses in processing & the practical application of it’s training, culminating, namely in the alleged super powers (still waiting for those to condense out of the ether) of OT7. Yet, you don’t want to know me and have poisoned most of my family against me and I’m now officially shunned by the ALL the friends and colleagues I have known and worked with who are still in or connected to the Church.
Is there somewhere we can have a quiet chat about this with your senior? But first tell me, what training and processing have you and your immediate senior had and where are YOU BOTH on the Bridge?”
(Well… at least their security will be busy and attentive!).
Deceit is the only thing Scientology peddles.
Man, Yawnalot, your post nails it. Why on Teegleack doesn’t this bullshit “religion” have its religious tax exempt status pulled immediately until they can prove they deserve it.
Nobody is scared of them anymore, so the same stunts they pulled in the eighties won’t work.
The press release merely claims “Scientology is one of the world’s fastest growing religions.” Is CoS dropping its claim to be the world’s fastest-growing religion?
It’s kinda like a cancer except now A&E seems to have found the cure!
Indeed, it finally seems that the old claim was just too outrageous and obviously false, for even Scientology to keep repeating. The higher-level PR people have to know that “growing” is only true in some very limited sense that’s not stated, like in terms of square feet of facilities, or in Taiwan – or in the minds of its believers.
One of the students was originally a member of the Nation of Islam… interesting.
Scientologists are cosying up others who are threatened. So F***ing transparent.
Press Releases have no value unless picked up and promoted by MAJOR news outlets. Scamologies press releases never are and exist for internal sheeple consumption only (aka fertilizer).
I noticed all these CoS news articles are published by GlobalNewsWire – apparently they will publish any “news” article you give them from $150-$300 for up to 600 words….sort of interesting….thought I’d share. Thank you
Barbet, newswire services exist to “put on the news wire” press releases from entities for a fee. News entities get this feed to search for news WORTHY items. They then would contact the entity who put out the release in order to write a news article for their publication. If it were deemed news worthy.
Wire services are NOT read by the general public looking for news. Unless illegal, News Wire services publish any press release. That is their sole business.
The CoS chose this particular service because it is cheap and not really paid attention to by the major news outlets.
No appointment necessary! But best to call or email us anyway.
I know of mega churches that pack thousands in every week. To anyone familiar with religion in America, 11,000 churches is a tiny number for 60 years. I’m sure many churches have much better worldwide expansion stats.
How is it they have so many people who have blown and they get followed around with cameras yet all of these students come in on a Friday night and no one’s filming them taking pics for publicity? Makes no sense to me,
Every morning”different subject” I wake up and immediately check for your next post Mike, you’re a good person for trying to help others as is Leah Remini you two are good together on the aftermath program, looking forward to season 2 ???
You are changing things Thank You
That’s like trying to put out a forest fire with a squirt gun.
I’m more interested in the process for issuing this statement than what it says. Mike, you may have some understanding of this…
I suspect that the unlucky PR person du jour has a pipeline of these feel-good press releases saved up to release when they need some “filler” to try to distract from bad news coming out. The problem is that anything dealing with a controversial issue has to be reviewed and approved by DM himself, and given his legendary ineptitude, that could take weeks (the response to the Aquarium deal seemed unusually rapid given Miscavige’s involvement). So it’s better to have someting, as ludicrous as it is, to distract the faithful, than it is to have nothing while waiting for the royal temper tantrum to bless your work, risking an RPF visit along the way.
It’s also interesting to note that the cult is sufficiently embarrassed about itself that it’s releasing this dreck on a nothing-burger news wire like “Globe Newswire.” It doesn’t cost a lot more to release your stuff on a legit PR wire service like BusinessWire or PR Newswire. Scientology certainly has the extra cash, so it’s not a question of affordability. It’s just that enough editors get stuff off of the two major wire services that at least one or two editors on a slow news day would be tempted to pick up the cult news release and write a mocking article. By putting it on a newswire that nobody reads, the poor lowly PR peon avoids creating another flap while avoiding the wrath of the mighty Miscavige.
Weaker than a sick cat. Flunk!
Dave,
Putting Out Fires Update:
This story is OLD news.
Have you seen the BREAKING NEWS?
I know that I’ve read at least one account from someone who went into one of Scientology’s largely-empty facilities to ask some questions, was told that most of the people they get coming in nowadays are students checking them out as part of a class. And I would guess that virtually all of those students, being internet-savvy, are fully aware of the ugly underbelly of Scientology, and probably treat what they are doing as more like visiting a freak show than a church.
I suspect that the PR person quoted, is savvy enough to realize what the student visits really mean. It’s actually bad news for them, that teachers and professors are getting students to research for themselves and scrutinize Scientology (some academics, are presumably doing what they really should); here’s the sort of press that they get on campus:
Visit to Church of Scientology confirms its superficiality
http://www.themiamihurricane.com/2015/12/13/visit-to-church-of-scientology-confirms-its-superficiality/
One of the “virtues” of authoritarian-cult–bubble headed regimes is that they have a distoted sense of self importance and confidence.
With Scientology that egoic delusional sense of self importance comes from the insecure madman called L Ron Hubbard.
Their sense of self, having been developed in the regimented bubble, is so out of touch with reality (wog reality-normal reality) that they reveal their distorted self when they express themselves to the very aware public.
When the church of Scientology expresses itself, their true nature expresses itself.
And we, society, see DM and attack lawyers as DBs, SPs and anti social personalities.
The more they express themselves the more they prove that they are the projection of L Ron Hubbard’s paranoid megalomaniacal mental state.
The more they express themselves the more they prove that the real enemy SP that Ron dramatized is Ron and Scientology itself.
Dave, the more you promote yourself and your business, the more hundreds or thousands of us will be there to reveal Scientology’s true nature: a dangerous hypno-mind-fuck. PERIOD
So please keep promoting Scientology. The seeds of Scientology’s destruction rests in it becoming even higher profile than it is now.
When a rabies infested coyote comes round my neighborhood and expresses itself, we call the authorities to come and put an end to its misery.
My sentiments exactly. .The more that is revealed about the Cult. The worse it will be for it…until it chokes and dies
“We’re happy to answer questions and provide information for the community. There really aren’t any ‘dumb questions.’ This center is a great location where anyone is able to find out for themselves and was established for that reason,” said Information Center Manager, Amber Skjelset.
Great, Amber I’ve been waiting a long time for the answer to this question. I’m glad you are willing to finally come clean.
Where’s Shelly?
Yes, where’s Shelly???
The best thing about this press release is that, outside of readers of this blog, practically no one will ever read it. Zero impact. None. Nada. Zilch.
Even in Bulgravia? Man, that’s a lot zilch!
This is some weak sauce, Dave.
0 out of 10, don’t try again.
Seriously dwarf boy, just lick your wounds and walk away. It’s only going to get worse…
The slurch, famous for fake photo ops, has not one photo of said students to show?
The ‘accompanying’ photo shows about 15 people, few are ‘student’ age. It wouldn’t be $cientology if lies were not involved.
Ummmmm….because they don’t exist? Hey, I took a shot.
“Based on L. Ron Hubbard’s words, ‘A community that pulls together can make a better society for all.'”
Based on how the church handles its own internal problems: “Disagree with management or the way you are treated and we will declare your ass, enforce disconnection on you and try our best to destroy you utterly,” the sign outside the door of this Information Center should read, “ABANDON ALL HOPE YE WHO ENTER HERE.”
Yep ………. as overheard from the office of Dave…..
“We’re a name takin ass kicking bunch of disconnection enforcing do gooders who are in desperate need of having our own asses kicked off this bridge to no fuckin where and thats exactly what I’m gonna give you bunch of CICSMFAH if you don’t get your god damned stats going up!”
I met and spoke with Amber for about half an hour and really asked a lot of questions about how she got into “it” (she was from Brooklyn originally) and she also gave me the DVD on Jan 2, 2017. Her ethnicity is nothing like her last name. Besides Amber, the building was staffed with a young French woman and a young Dane, both had only been in the USA less than three years. The fourth scilon that came in off a bicycle was a hard line jerk checking me out as to why I asked so many questions until I told him I was good friends with OT5 Oscar Wegner who lives nearby. Then he thought maybe I was not an SP as I had quizzed Amber on certain materials which I explained I had so many Hubbard books as gifts from Wegner when the golden age of tech 1 and then later the golden age of tech 2 rolled out and they were forced to get rid of the “outdated materials.” LIttle did he known my sister and I were laughing at all the trained answers we got that were exactly the same as we wandered into the very few buildings that were staffed in Clearwater at 3pm to 5pm that day. The world’s fastest shrinking religion for sure is scientology.
Thank you for this eyewitness account. Interesting that half of the staff you encountered are immigrants. I wonder if they still possess their passports or have surrendered them to the cherch.
I’m sure happy to see the student from Georgia was helped with an over the phone interview and useful information for her school article. I hope she was smart enough to take it with a pinch
Maybe I’ll try calling as I’m sure Amber will answer any questions I have especially dumb ones. Like “Where in the world are the millions of scientologists – my local org is basically empty?” “Do you think I’m dumb enough to swallow this fake news you are feeding me?” “Why are you so dumb?” On the other hand I don’t particularly want a PI or a bad scio-cop-on-a bike showing up at the door and hounding me.
I am TRULY impressed with all the good these 11,000 churches, missions and groups do in this world. NOT!
Ed, do you mean to tell me doubt their truthfulness? I mean, they are the most ethical people on Earth. Right Ed? Ummmmm…..right?
They’ve downgraded their Scientology growth claim from “the world’s fastest growing religion” to “one of the world’s fastest growing religion.”
if you define growing as contracting, then they’ve got that right.
Contracting = Growing. Another rabbit hole.
Yeah, interesting change, they’re just failing to put the past time qualifier “what once was” at the beginning of the second version – though I think that’s implicit, and the PR people know it and are crafting statements which they can justify as not quite being a lie.
If a Scientologist wrote that you know they’ve received the WRATH of Dave which we’ve all heard is BRUTAL , JUST A TINY slip up not many would notice, from the largest to one of ,man you know that person is going through hell,
Whoa! Someone flinched!
One of the world’s fastest growing religions, as in the top 1000 religions. And that’s taking growth as absolute value (mathematically speaking), so that a loss of 1000 people a year is expressed as |-1000| = 1000.
“…more than 11,000 churches, missions and affiliated groups…”
This statement alone is so laughable as to be completely absurd. One would be hard pressed to find 11,000 individuals who claimed to be scientologists let alone groups of ANY size. And I’m purposely excluding groups or clusters of body thetans here because even they wouldn’t want to be associated with a group as toxic and hazardous as scientology.
Well Ms. B Haven, then you’ve completely blown their entire story out of the water. Those were the 11,000 “affiliated groups” they were referring to – all those clusters of BTs.
It has always amazed me that this “cherch” has to always justify itself in it’s propaganda by listing bonafides and testimonials.
It’s as if they know they are fake and are pleading for acceptance (never gonna happen) by the world as legitimate.
“The worlds fastest shrinking religion” is a much more truthful statement.
Hopefully the RCo$ will be a distant memory for the world in a few years and all families will be reunited again.
As a former news and PR person who has received and written many news releases, this is only good for Scientology to put on their own sites and blogs. It would be ridiculed in a real newsroom. What an amateurish quote — “Wow! This was so helpful! Thank you so much for your time answering our questions – we really appreciate it,” said the students. Really? All the students said this? That’s credible. To Scientology.
“The students” itself is an odd thing to say when referring to a visitors center attendee who watched a video IMHO.
One thing is for sure: Any students who attended will forevermore receive Scientology mailings and phone solicitations from various orgs. That alone will probably squelch any initial interest they might have had.
This “story” has more holes than a Swiss cheese
Big holes! The kind you can walk through.
“I think he said, ‘Blessed are the cheesemakers.’
What’s so special about the cheesemakers?
I don’t think it is meant to be taken literally. I’m sure he meant any dairy producer.”
Monty Python’s Life of Brian, Sermon on the Mount scene.
Perhaps Scientology heard this line and actually took it literally?
Was wondering…Why the shortened hours on Thursday/Friday?
Kind of complicated to remember….not that they’re losing customers because they just arrived too late.
On those days staff get to sleep in…