Generally, scientology does not proselytize for new members in downtown Clearwater.
They don’t try to recruit new members — “Flag” is for existing scientologists who make the pilgrimage to hand over cash and participate in advanced scientology courses and auditing. In fact, scientology would prefer there were NO “wogs” (non-scientologists) in the downtown area at all. They want it to be 100% scientologists.
But there is a local “mission” in Belleair that is for “new people” who may be introduced in some fashion by scientologists in the local area (it is also where those who don’t “qualify” to participate at Flag are sent).
Generally, non-scientologists avoid the downtown area as much as possible. So it is not a fertile recruitment ground anyway.
But when there is a large event — one of the few being the Jazz Festival coming up this weekend — people are willing to travel downtown because they know for a few hours they won’t be outnumbered by scientologists.
And because of this influx of “raw meat” (the scientology term for those who have not yet had the realization that scientology holds the answers to all of life) this event is seen as an opportunity for the scientology Belleair Mission to try to attract the unwary:
You can also bet the front groups from the Potemkin Village on N. Ft Harrison (Way To Happiness, Volunteer Ministers, Drug Free World, Citizen’s Commission on Human Rights, Literacy Campaign etc) will be trying to get people to take their literature and come in to their empty storefronts to find out what great “charitable” and “humanitarian” work they are doing… But don’t dare set foot on the parking lots of their empty WestCoast Building, Lee Arnold Building, Sandcastle Hotel or Osceola hotel that adjoin Coachman Park — the reception will NOT be so welcoming. No doubt these buildings and their parking lots will be roped off and patrolled by Security Guards. This is where the “real” scientology happens and outsiders are decidedly not welcome — not the front group activities designed to convince the world they are doing good works.
The idea of being accosted by scientologists is what people fear most about visiting downtown Clearwater.
Of course, the scientologists cannot be prevented from proselytizing — they certainly have free speech rights like everyone else.
But everyone who fears them should know they are very easy to scare off if they do try to approach you. It’s simply a matter of asking, without hostility, “Where is Shelly Miscavige” or “Do you watch Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath?” or “I read Mike Rinder’s blog, do you?” and they will quickly abandon any conversation and try to get as far away from you as possible.
I am pretty certain anyone who does read this blog knows this already — but perhaps there are some new readers and if I can make anyone feel comfortable about attending the Clearwater Jazz Fest, safe in the knowledge they don’t have to be worried about the scientologists, then this blog post has done its job.
Pass the word. A simple question works like garlic on a vampire.
Clearwater Jazz Festival –
Very descriptive article, I enjoyed that a lot. Will there be a part 2?- calator.tel
CUTE girls to hand out their propaganda leaflets; Sadly, I won’t be able to exchange harassment with them at the non-event. Will they get any real jazz groups playing? More than a dozen disinterested people wandering past? ‘Course, their PR will spin it as the biggest thang evah!
Just found your site. Thanks for the info. I will be going to Jazz fest on sat so I will be aware! Lol Looking forward to hearing more from you. I just hope they won’t be in V.I.P. ! Thanks, Gisella
Welcome, Gisela Enjoy the show and pass the popcorn, please.
The picture of those 3 reminds me of the teams of “ice cream girls” being used to bilk senior citizen members of whatever they have left – including lines of credit:
https://tonyortega.org/2018/07/24/scientology-used-an-ice-cream-date-to-run-up-20k-on-seniors-credit-cards/
https://tonyortega.org/2019/08/24/paging-graham-berry-another-scientology-horror-story-of-credit-card-fraud-targeting-retirees/
Great advice from Mike.
Now a question for those who have been in.
Can you explain the stages of being HIGHLY COMMENDED. Like the first time you thought this was the cat’s meow. Then over time maybe that changed for you? Did it ever help you in any way? Does this only work on newbies?
Seeing all of the “move up in status-es” and “highly commendeds” made me curious about what these “gold stars” in your folder do for you and did it give you a feeling of safety?
Thanks
The commends count as ‘points’ when seeking eligability for upper Advanced services (OT levels).
It’s really mostly abitrarys.
Every now and then Management will come out with ‘faster’ bridge services as ‘abitrarys’ are removed ….
“Seeing all of the “move up in status-es” and “highly commendeds” made me curious about what these “gold stars” in your folder do for you and did it give you a feeling of safety?”
In my experience, commendations were only good for making you feel good for a few seconds. Despite Tubby’s PR about it, Kha Khan didn’t protect anyone from his being in a bad mood one particular second.
All these papers go to your Ethics Folder.
Having commendations and high commendations demonstrates you are a good guy, they balance the misdeeds and the ethics (corrective) actions you received, also documented in that folder.
They are considered “good things to have” in different ways: first of all you get an acknowledgement about being a good guy, you get some pride out of it.
Second, they are evaluated when you progress up your OT Levels; when you get to that point your ethics folder is analyzed and you should demonstrate you are really one of the a good ones, to be allowed to the upper levels.
Big donations, bringing new people in, having a high statistic (being very productive) on something valued by the church, all these things will be considered when your level of contribution is evaluated.
This is all part of exchanging “pride” and access to “spiritual advancement” for money and/or for new people into the money making machine.
I remember very clearly some public (not staff or Sea Org) OTs being totally invisible in the org until they had to get up to their next level; at that point they would show up in the org, participate in some activities, donate some money and get their commendations, just to be sure nobody stops their progress when they show up in the Advanced Org for their next OT level.
It’s just another angle to the “statuses system” they made up for for building fundraising, IAS and so on, commendations show you did your part in the money making machine, so you can get your prize.
For staff members it’s a bit different, commendations fall more in the “pride” department and in getting some ethics protection (balancing the misdeeds) than in any access to the OT Bridge; staff members usually don’t progress much on the Bridge, most of the ones who have a high case level (except for the SO Members trained to deliver OT levels) paid for it.
I have a huge ethics folder with “not so many” misdeeds and a lot of commendations, but it didn’t really help me in any way on career advancement and Bridge progress, I had to fight my way up anyways. I pissed off “Little Big Man” only once; that was enough to start a nightmare and make all my good deeds insignificant.
Thanks Cece, jere and SPmT.
One point ya’ll have mentioned seems so contradictory to some of the things I see. That’s the stuff about getting people onto their next course – which to me reads – get their money for the next course. However if I’m reading ya’ll correctly the people need to 1st qualify for acceptance and 2nd’ly put up the money. Or is this one of those “here’s how it is in theory and here’s how it really works” things?
Thanks again.
Yes, you are right, it may look a bit confusing for who is not used to it.
Let me explain it in better detail:
Scientologists have to pay for their next level, this is their “donation” for the service they will receive.
Anyways, that’s not enough to be accepted on the higher levels of spiritual enlightenment (named OT Levels), they also need to demonstrate they are “good Scientologists”.
One of the things looked upon to evaluate if they are worthy enough to be accepted is the analysis of their ethics folder, where commendations and records of their prior “violations” are kept.
If they “didn’t do enough” to forward Scientology, they are not allowed to start on the service they paid for, they receive a program (a set of actions they need to complete) to be eligible for it.
“Good deeds” include big donations for some Scientology campaign or forwarding Scientology programs (like helping to bring new people in the money making machine named Scientology).
Therefore, people who want to progress on the higher levels will pay the service itself AND contribute in other ways (financially or otherwise) to be sure they are considered “good guys” and allowed to receive the service they paid for.
The most usual “extra” contribution will be some money donation in one or more of the main campaigns (International Association of Scientologists, Ideal Org Building fundraising, promotional actions, etc.).
So there are two forms of payment involved in getting a high level service: a payment for the service itself and payments (or other forms of contributions) to acquire the status of “good guy”.
In the past it was a common occurrence seeing some of these guys come back home being denied the service they had paid for because their contribution was not big enough.
Nowadays they are “smarter”, so they contribute financially to some campaign before going to upper level organizations for services, as a means to secure a green light for their progress.
If a Scientologist approaches just calmly announce that you are an SP who’d be happy to spread your PTS Cooties… 🤣
Exactly. The best thing would be for these Scientologists to run into one hostile person after another, just to keep them thinking.
I would say to them, “You should walk away from Scientology. Instead of being here to hand out crappy promo, you could be enjoying the show.”
No matter revelation about the cult, no matter how much hidden conduct and what they have forced members to never reveal, No matter what TRUTHS REVEALED, the cult pivots back to the repeating eternal message of “unprecedented expansion” LIES.
https://www.mikerindersblog.org/scientology-expansion-the-reality/
Off topic, sort of, but I really enjoy reading your site every day Karen 🙂 Your husband’s too. He’s doing an amazing job of covering the trial of Rizza Islam.
Where did that “Taylor Mack” promo piece appear? I’m not hip on social media.
Anyhow it always catches my attention when I see “our religion” or “our church” coming from scientologists. When I blew in 1982 I didn’t know anyone who called scientology their religion or their church. Times sure changed.
Correction – There was one woman at ASHO who occasionally referred to scientology as her religion. The rest of us thought she was an oddball.
Richard, is your story recounted anywhere online? I always enjoy hearing when people get out of a cult situation, institutional or relational.
Hi Francis Khoury – Here’s something I wrote on ESMB, the Ex Scientologist Message Board a month ago under a different “name”. General blah, blah but since you asked. 🙂
Zertel said: ↑
My grandmother was a devout Methodist but she also followed astrology and gave readings back in the 1950s. Her point of view was “God created the Heavens so we can admire and interpret them.” She also told me angels helped her and they would me too if I asked them. To date I haven’t called upon angels. Grandma was always ready to answer my “Why is the sky blue” questions when I was a boy.
I blew scientology around 1982 because of the price increases and joined the Great Exodus in Los Angeles when probably hundreds of scientologists blew all at once. Several blown scientologist get together groups sprung up and I joined one. There were about 15 of us and we met weekly at someone’s house. We discussed other practices and listened to a lot of channelling tapes. Now if those channelled “entities” were actually incorporeal (non embodied) beings, I have to admit some of them were pretty cool dudes! The scientific explanation would probably be that channellers are accessing some stream of conscious in the mind.
On one of the tapes a group of OTs had recruited a channeler and were grilling him about whether OTIII was real or not. I’ll write about that later.
The chaneller’s entity went by the name of “Dr. Peebles”. Of the three or four different channelling entities we listened to in the get together group, he was my favorite. The tape was edited with the specifics of OTIII edited out. Remember, at this time scientologists were very wary of revealing anything about OTIII for the potential “damage” which might occur. The OTs were going at him from several directions and just wanted a YES or NO answer – lol. He wouldn’t commit and hedged, saying, “Well, that is one of several possibilities . . .” and went on to describe other possible adventures in the theta universe. He said sometimes he and other entities would get together to discuss (however they discuss things “out there”) how best to impart their wisdom to we humans. The get together group I joined lasted about seven or eight weeks and then disbanded. It was great fun while it lasted.
I know the ‘advanced’ Scientology courses are called ‘advanced’, but why? To sound ‘advanced’ as opposite to ‘waaaay to expensive’?
The mathemathics needed for relativity theory is advanced.
Scientology courses – not so much.
That is just what the Jazz organizers want to see, more trash on the ground. Placing postulates aside, no real dissimination happens anymore. The Clams trying to work in the real world don’t even tell people they are in WISE or ABLE or any other $cieno front group.
Thanks to a free press, #cientology has as much good PR as Ebola coated kiddie porn.
Perfect time to exhange pamphlets.
Thinking Aftermath, and Mark Bunker ones.
Actually that is not a bad idea, John T. I think Mark Bunker should have his own volunteers and himself to hand out his flyers at the jazz festival asking for votes to get him on the council.
Rumor has it that Xenu is getting his band back together and will make a surprise appearance at the Clearwater Jazz Festival
The Swinging Xenus are looking to get on the same billing as The Jive Aces.
That would be fun to watch!
I would be apprehensive talking to a Scientologist. But I would love to get a chance to talk to one. I know logic it doesn’t matter, but still for the opportunity to try and get real with the Scientologist would be interesting.
Mike, beware of the thousand yard stare! It may suck you in!
This might actually be a draw for Clearwater.
They could do guided tours.
“See the elusive and rare $cientologist in one of their few remaining natural concentrations, before they are gone due to mounting societal and legal pressure.”
“If you are really quiet, and leave a few dollars sticking out of your pockets, they may approach to see if you are gullible enough to take the OCA. Play along, don’t ask too many questions, or they will retreat into their building and we won’t see them again for days.”
Good one Kyle:
“Play along, don’t ask too many questions, or they will retreat into their building and we won’t see them again for days.”
Sooooo….what you’re saying is WOGS are NOT welcome in “certain areas” because…” No doubt these buildings and their parking lots will be roped off and patrolled by Security Guards”.
Does that mean the “local OFF DUTY Clear Water Policeman” will be earning some “extra income”….again?
Hope to be able to drive the thirty-two miles to Clearwater this weekend. Mark Bunker. Do you need any help?
Off topic, but I was flipping through one of the cable channels last night, I was surprised to see an advertisement for the Scientology channel. They were advertising some show about L. Ron Hubbard that will be appearing on the Scientology channel.
I saw that ad too while watching MSNBC. I was shocked! I have Direct TV so maybe that’s why? Or the cult is doing some big ad buys
I saw that ad too while watching MSNBC. I was shocked! I have Direct TV so maybe that’s why? Or the cult is doing some big ad buys
“Big ad buys” !? Thanks for the early-morning(for me) chuckle, Sandy.
IIRC, when we subscribed to the service, DirecTV had a dial-up internet connection to report its customers’ viewing habits in addition to D/Ling scheduling info, so promoting what is probably their least-viewed channel my well be in their self-interest. DM might buy some ads; perhaps the cheapest 15-seconds he can get; at 5 AM on their second-least-watched channel. Am I being too cynical?
How about asking if David Miscavige is really 4 foot 13 inches tall? or what does SCOHB mean?
Although DM is taller than the height that qualifies you for midget or dwarf, he does have a head that is proportionally too large for his body. So it would be fun to test his DNA for dwarfism or midgetism some day.
That would be 4-foot, 12 and 1/2 inches, I believe, since his tailor said that would be “on a good day” or some such. Guy’s a puny shrimp living out his phantasies as Napoleon.
Yep and as we age we lose height, so Dm might now qualify as a bona fide midget or dwarf.
I do think his rage came from steroid use for his asthma. But that is no excuse for beating uop people at any rate.
Just return their favor of offering you a pamphlet/brochure with your offer of an Aftermath card, preferably with no conversation. Then walk away. 😉
At the same time, sell them on a multi-level marketing business. (There are good ones out there.)
“Hi, I know how staff positions in your church are supposed to pay really well, would you be interested in using that money to invest in becoming your own boss? There’s this company called Amway that I’d like to introduce you to.”
I love this idea!
A deal? At this point I’ll take ANYTHING!
I was in Hollywood earlier this year and did that very thing while walking past the Co$ buildings. I can only hope that someone took advantage of the Aftermath cards I slipped in their hand.
Other options:
Have you read COB’s father’s book?
I believe it’s called ‘Ruthless’
Here – why don’t you borrow my copy?
Wear Aftermath Foundation t-shirt (or ‘Don’t Be Culty’ hoodie, if its a bit chilly)
Pass out “Call Me” cards (To My Loved One in Scientology)
Walk around wearing ‘Freedom Medal of Valor’ purchased off E-Bay, or make your
own Freedom Medal of Valor! Everything needed to make one’s own Freedom Medal of Valor can be found at your local Hobby Lobby and/or Michael’s Craft stores.
Create your own t-shirt – I have included a couple of ideas to get you started –
“I ‘donated’ a million dollars to Scientology …. now I can’t afford a lousy t-shirt”
“Winter the Dolphin Kicked COB’s Ass With One Fin Tied Behind Her Back”
(if graphic art is your forte, find pictures of Winter, COB and COB’s ass being kicked to include as part of t-shirt design)
“I’m Not Afraid of Radiation……. I have an UNDERGROUND BUNKER”
“Remini & Rinder:
Kicking COB’s Ass Since 2015”
“Dauntless Defiant Resolute
Is So 2000 and Late
Remini! Rinder! Relentless!”
Really, the possibilities are endless
And amusing! I know it will give every non Scientologist a chuckle. On the front my My t-shirt would say Celebrity Scientologists making Disconnection Possible. The back would say Tom Cruise never spent a day in the RPF!
“Make Flag Great Again”…tee shirts and hats, get’em now while supplies last.
Actually, these could be made up for any Scientology Idle M’org.
Great gag gifts.
Aqua, Ilike your style… 😉
“Just return their favor of offering you a pamphlet/brochure with your offer of an Aftermath card, preferably with no conversation. Then walk away. 😉”
Good idea! BUT be ready to run very, very fast.
“A simple question works like garlic on a vampire.” Funny, true and most apropos, Mike!
“Pass the word. A simple question works like garlic on a vampire.” That’s funny.
I like to imagine normal people asking scientologists these questions all the time, in a nice way. I mean really ask. I’d like to ask, “Why is it that you don’t want to know about the allegations of abuse?” Alas, normal people have lives and it’s just such a pain in the ass to deal with stupid people.
“A simple question works like garlic on a vampire”. 😂😂😂 So true!
I wonder if Chick, Stanley, Tom Brechtlein, or Mark Isham will be playing there,
proudly representing the fastest growing religion on Teegeeack?
It would be great place to pass out some “Call Me ” cards/stickers ” to the
disseminating clams…along with…complimentary rolls of toilet paper…
Toilet paper. Lol. It blows my mind that an organization makes it workers buy their own toilet paper. Can you imagine if the company you work for in the real world did that?
Messages need to be printed on rolls of toilet tissues, then given to $cientoigist for free, warning them of the cult.
Anything can be printed on toilet paper. A photo of Miscavige would be nice. Send a roll to every Idle M’org. Ideal Toilet Paper; Command Intention. And yes, I know its a tired, trite joke but I’d still love to do it.
Oh, you’re just acting like a big poop poop.
Mark, I don’t keep up with the jazz world like I used to. Who is Tom Brechtlein? I thought Mark Isham had become a Hollywood hack and wasn’t playing much these days. I remember, decades ago, he had a band out of San Francisco called the Rubisa Patrol (not sure about this).
I get royally sick of hearing other musicians extolling the (admitted) virtues of Chick Corea’s music or his tunes. When I point out that he’s a scientologist, I get something like: “I don’t care what his religion is. He could have green skin and three eyes; I just like his music.” Usually they either don’t know he’s a scientologist or more often, think scientology is just another musician’s eccentricity (like Herbie Hancock’s Nichiren Soshu Buddhism). Very frustrating.
Tom Brechtlein(scientologist) is a drummer who has played with Chick, Wayne Shorter, and a bunch of other top-tier musicians in a variety of genres. Isham has been composing for films, quite successfully,for many years and, yes, he doesn’t play as much as he used to, as far as I can tell…. Both are good musicians. I agree with you about Chick, his status as a childhood musical hero of mine notwithstanding…The first time I saw the name L. Ron Hubbard was on the back cover of a Return To Forever album. There are lots of interesting stories floating around out there about various musicians who had a low tolerance for Chick’s scientological bloviating and ” ethics handlings”. One guy who has been quite straightforward about his issues in the past with Chick is guitarist Scott Henderson, who played with Chick in his “electric band” in the mid-80’s. Allegedly he ended up introducing Frank Gambale to Chick as his replacement, and resorted to riding on Wayne Shorter’s tour bus when Wayne’s and Chick’s bands were touring together because he didn’t want to listen to Chick’s blather. Anthony Braxton quite cheerfully gave up scientology after briefly checking it out when he was playing with Chick, Barry Altschul, and Dave Holland decades ago. I also remember reading a Dave Liebman interview ( he played soprano and tenor sax in Miles Davis’ band with Chick) in which he praised Chick’s musical skills while simultaneously calling scientology ” ridiculous “. Yes, Chick’s a nice guy to audiences and there are musicians who get along with him just fine, but…yeah, he actively endorses an abusive cult, so I don’t support him anymore.
Speaking of Nichiren Shoshu, I was briefly involved with that group. They are also a cult, in my opinion…
Thanks for all the fascinating info! I didn’t know all this stuff about players who worked with Chick and others.
I bought the “Return to Forever” album decades ago and enjoyed it; I knew next to nothing about scientology at the time.
I am familiar with Nichiren Shoshu and knew a very good singer who was involved in it with her husband. To her credit, she didn’t proselytize or talk about it much.
Funny , I was Lee Lee’s roommate at Delphi . Went to school with Thaddeus , Danny Hollander and others for a year . Been to Flag many times as a young teenager . When I started asking too many questions I was kicked out of my house and told not to contact any family ever again . Made it to OT 2 at 14 .
Guess I was smart enough to look through all the BS .
Paid a big price , as I never saw my family again .
Chick used to come to Delphi and perform in the chapel .
I adored both Liana and Thad , they were good friends to me at the time .