This week we talk to a couple who experienced scientology ethics and disconnection policies up close and personal.
Katherine is the sister of William Kilmartin. William was previously married to Leah’s sister Shannon. When Leah and her family left scientology, William refused to disconnect, as a result his scientology family members all disconnected from him, including his sisters and parents. William was then officially adopted into Leah’s family and is now Leah’s adopted brother. It’s a bit unusual and sort of complicated so I wanted to make sure it was clear up front here.
After moving away from the LA area, Katherine and her husband reconnected with William and Leah last year.
This episodes highlights just how insane the world of scientology is and how it literally destroys families.
We talk about Ethics in scientology and there are a couple of earlier posts that describe what this is to those unfamiliar with the subject:
The first one includes an explanation of the “Greatest Good for the Greatest Number of Dynamics” which underpins everything in the subject and defines what is good for scientology as being ethical.
Two other posts take up this subject in a broader sense, both written by experienced former scientologists:
L. Ron Hubbard Redefines Ethics
Here is a post that lays out the true facts about Disconnection:
I was driving past the Advanced Organization and Saint Hill ANZO today while listening to Julian cry when talking about the disconnection from his brother. I just felt so horrible knowing all the harm the people in that building are causing.
I don’t know anyone in Scientology and am glad to know their numbers in Australia are dwindling. Every time i drive past that building here in Sydney I want to do something to help the victims I just dont know how
Great podcast today , as usual .
Listening to this story of leaving and disconnection , I realize once more that the whole thing is so predictable , same procedure , same insane threats .
When i was going through it , I had done enough research by then to know that I was not special , countless people had gone through the exact same thing and therefore talking to them was an exercise in futility .
No one is special in Scientology , just a pion that better tow the line .
i am glad Catherine and Julian are free and thank you for sharing .
Q: How many Scientologists does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: One, but they’ve got to get their CSW approved.
…so, it will never get done or maybe in a year but then several other light bulbs will need replacing …and those will need approval.
Yes Mary, it’s a real problem.
The real meaning of CSW: Cult Stupid Work.
Mike, Thank you and Leah for your continued exposure
of evil. I listen and read all the stuff that comes out; fascinating stuff us normal people missed pursuing a good life.
Question? Has any Scientologist ever come back from death to resume working for Ron? I have never heard of one.
Question? If someone popped up saying he is Ron, would David move aside? or have him whacked?
Question. There are so many trained auditors, so how does one ever leave without being de-programmed? Are they gung ho?
Would you have a former auditor on telling what they did and were all the questions straight from Ron or Dave? Do they ever think for themselves for questions? Show some questions the ask everybody.
IF anyone could prove they were returned scns, particularly returned scn VIPs, at a minimum, I would expect Dwarfenführer® and his minions to Dead-agent them thoroughly, present and all past lifetimes. Anyone who mattered has already been declared SP by the Tiny Tyrant’s mere say-so anyway, so he’ll ignore anything they say/do as being squirrel tech (Like he declared the SHSBC to be.) He OBVIOUSLY didn’t understand what the course was, and he proved he couldn’t properly complete class 4 without punching out his PC in session. AFAIK, that was the one time he beat on a mere girl. Since, he’s picked only on people who didn’t dare even put up a hand in their own defense
Hubbard said that Scientology is the only game where everyone wins, but after you’ve been in for awhile you come to realize it’s the only game where everyone sins.
Way to go William! You were always a nice kid full of happiness. Glad to hear that you are doing well.
Living well is the BEST revenge.
I’m still shaking my head.
One of the things I learned in Basic Infantry Training at Fort Benning was that some orders are NEVER followed.
I learned that working for State Government.
“Wonderful” interview. It captured a lot of the nuances that make the church of scientology The Church of Fear.
I cried when Julian cried about his brother. Boy do I know that zombie-like scientology personality that one gets before them when trying to “Reason” with them. It reminded me a bit of Mike’s story of talking with his own brother and trying to tell him what was going on in this church, about Mike’s own beatings, etc., and still his brother would not listen. It is so heartbreaking how one’s own family members do NOT want to hear or reason.
Julian made an excellent point about how helpful it is for someone that is IN to hear these interviews; someone I know just started listening and reading and it does have an impact and does let them know they have friends out here. This person I’m speaking of also made a point to me that under Covid lockdown, a lot of people that are IN were looking, listening, reading “stuff.” It’ll be interesting to see the impact that COVID has had on this vile group, considering how dead it was before COVID.
Keep up the good work guys.
‘This person I’m speaking of also made a point to me that under Covid lockdown, a lot of people that are IN were looking, listening, reading “stuff.”‘
This warms my cockles 🌞
With the temps we’re getting this Summer, I have no interest in anything getting warmed on this old body, cockles or otherwise.
Mary, your story still touches my heart. Keeping you and yours in my thoughts and prayers. I also pray that someday you can have a relationship with your son again. Would LOVE to hear from you more on this amazing podcast. Much respect to you, Mike, Leah, and all the brave souls who share their heartbreaking stories. Happy that all have escaped the criminal enterprise that is Scientology. Bravo.
To paraphrase L. Ron Hubbard, “May you never be as sane again.”
Scientology’s use of disconnection moved it into one of the most socially damaging cons of all time.
Of course they /choose/ to disconnect from friends and family when they otherwise will be themselves declared and be disconnected from by all their “friends” and family. Either disconnect on command or be disconnected by all other scns.
Sophie had an easier choice.
Either way, you’re disconnected, cast out.
REAL friends don’t disconnect though they might have to SAY they did for their own safety.
Ethics and justice aren’t even distant cousins in scientology. ‘ethics’ is just another word for punishment — like getting sent to the Principal’s office in school; ‘justice’ is being assigned the punishment the convening authority demanded for the offense he thinks you committed — based on a single uncorroborated knowledge report many times.
Wog Justice has no place in scientology; you are GUILTY as charged and have no real chance to prove otherwise
Jere, a corrupt ‘situational ethics’ might fit – combined with ends-justify-the-means rationales, often classified as extreme utilitarianism:
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situational_ethics
That’s not ethics (or morality) as generally understood, but the point is that Scientology and its apologists are technically correct that it is still a type of ethics (or, almost, anethics*, to go along with the amorality). I think it’s important to understand the construct, if only to be able to better call them on the disingenuous claims when they try to make them.
As a practical matter, it could be said to be yet another redefinition of words, since it’s not ethics in the common sense of the term. And then there is the whole corrupt, cynical apparatus that administers the system in the CofS – based on ends-justify-the-means, the interests of Scientology always being the greater good to which all others are sacrificed.
* anethical
Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
Devoid of ethical quality; neither ethical nor anti-ethical.
> https://www.wordnik.com/words/anethical
scientologists lie, must lie, can’t not lie. It’s what underlies their “scripture”.
😂😂😂😂😂😂👌
Their scripture is stricture.
Scribe scribbled:
“Their scripture is stricture.”
With no coherent structure.😆
And sure to cause a rupture.