Some interesting information here.
Plenty of evidence things are not all peachy at Flag.
Just a few comments:
They are trying to double the number of IAS members by reducing the annual membership fee and sending a mailing to everyone who has ever bought a book! Ha. Good luck with that. Although they disclose the REAL intent — to get people to higher statuses and that is ONLY about money.
THE most successful Clear event yet had 30 attendees. Yes, 30. And they then go on to say there are more Clears than any other case level…
There are less than 50,000 people on earth who have EVER been declared Clear. And there are more who are dead or have left scientology by a factor of five. I would guess there are a lot less than 10,000 Clears who consider themselves active scientologists today.
Obviously, they have to keep some campaign going to get money from Flag Public, and as Orlando has maybe 10 active scientologists in it’s whole field, the Flag OT Committee is focused on Orlando. And by the way, how come there have been no announcements of the new Missions and Narconons and WTH Chapters in Miami since the ribbon yanking? And where are all the Clear announcements from “Mighty MyMammy”?
You will be pleased to know that thanks to the IAS there is hope for peace on this planet. Are these people on drugs? They attend these events and walk out like they have been given some sort of hallucinogen. It’s crazy.
But they saved the best for last. They are having to do an OT Ambassador “Recovery Pgm” — and there are ONLY 300 OT Ambassadors in the Tampa Bay Area. Remember, scientology claims they are 10% of the population (that would be 14,000 in Clearwater)… The VAST majority of active scientologists in the local area are COUNTED as “OT ambassadors” even though they are not “active.” This is an accurate indicator of the number of active non-SO scientologists in the Flag field. No more than 500…
Something that has been nagging at me ever since I read about it.
Nathan Rich, and Tara Reile had a great interview on “Aftermath” with Leah and Mike about the abuses of the ranch, and the abuses of Wally Hanks, which included a tape of a child being beaten with the “paddle.”
For a real treat into “Neverland” watch the interview (seven parts) with Steve Fishman. He is, or has, written a book on his experiences via Scientology. Scientology does not want this book published it seems, and has done everything it could to suppress it. Mr. Fishman shows the interviewer a un-opened box from what he says is from Scientology which contains a kit to commit suicide. This is the 3rd package that has been sent to him, and he is turning it over to the FBI. He was told by the cult that if he (Fishman) would commit suicide then he would be able to come back and go right up the ladder (or some insane remark) in the cult. Fishman declined, not that he was against the idea, but because he was not sure he would come back at this time period.
Now comes my question. After the interview with Nathan and Tara, Wally Hanks suddenly dies. How nice for the cult, as it ties off any loose ends of the tape with the beating of the child, and “dead men, tell no tales.” Has the cult finally gotten around to actually murdering those who defy them, or do not want them to give evidence against the cult. “destroy your enemies completely” LRH.
In any case watch the Steve Fishman videos. Long, but it makes LRH’s stuff pale in comparison.
Steve Fishman is a conman. Always has been and always will be. Currently serving time for a subsequent con after he was done with scientology.
For a time he conned people that he was an experienced scientologist who was spilling the beans on all sorts of secrets. In truth, he had gone into a mission in Ft Lauderdale and conned the ED of the Mission and then had parlayed that into a short-lived career as a “scientology expert.”
Don’t believe a word he says.
Thanks Mike.
Well, I was fairly sure (how about positive) that this more than entertaining guy was not someone I would be throwing money at. LOL.
I am delighted however that if he went to Ft Lauderdale and conned the gang from the cult out of anything, he has my vote. LOL.
Believe me from the first to the last sentence of Steve, I knew was a total WTF reaction on my part.
I got my notice, half price…….whooop. Maybe next year it will be BOGO!
I wrote that I had taken the “Oxford Capacity Analysis” questionnaire and had the cult check it over for me, and tell me where I am “failing” or “needs help.”
I was, and am, disturbed by some of the questions of this questionnaire, and if I may would like to enlighten you as their contents, and you can in your own mind of how you would answer.
Question (98). Would you use corporal punishment on a child aged 10 if it refuses to obey you.
Question (113). Would it take a definite effort on your part to consider the subject of suicide.
Question (125) Are you suspicious of people who ask for money from you.
Question (129) Are you in favor of color bar and class distinction.
Question (161) Are your interests and fields of knowledge so important as to give little time to anything else.
There are many more questions of a similar nature, just worded in a different way. It almost seems to me at least, that they are trying to find out if you would be OK with the LRH or DM way of doing things.
I totally believe the Co$ on the “7 chartered planes” bit. I just assume they’re 4-seater Cessnas.
Probably paper airplanes.
“Peace on Earth”…I feel wise knowing it’s unrealistic.
Forgive my ignorance when it comes to this but I have only recently started learning what is happening with those in scientology. My heart aches for those who have been hurt by their (so called) religion and those who are hurting their family by the delusive skills of egomaniacs…….
Question: with 30 attendees – does this mean 30 were declared clear or 30 attended I.e. 5 cleared with 25 of their members who helped put on the class?
What stuck out most to me when reading this is push for more money: i.e. “Clears need to be pushed, that they need to do their training and that they do listen to advice from OT’s who have already made it up the Bridge.”; report your stats; we are in the middle of the IAS game, which ends on Nov 2. The targets are 250 individual donations to anywhere to anyone and $50,000 in donations to be given to Marguerite or Megan for Division 6C.; and we need these powerful OT’s helping us create Ideal Orgs, and getting the field up the Bridge. Sounds like a lot of emphasis on getting people to pay.
Not ignorant at all.. You have complete understanding of Scientology motivation and ideology. Doesn’t take long to figure it out that they do not give a shit about people, family, relationships… It’s all about the money. Keep reading on the subject and you’ll learn of abuse. Won’t be long before you’re pissed off too and you’re writing letters to your government officials like the rest of us.
Welcome to Rinder’s!
Thank you Teen,
I started watching the Aftermath a few weeks ago, (thanks to on demand I went back and watched most earlier episodes as well) I am horrified and saddened by what I have heard and seen.
I have been trying to learn more (a little each day), there are so many layers of abuse; physical, emotional, maltreatment and violation of basic human rights, etc., that I am angered and want them to suffer the consequences of the lives they destroyed. I have been sharing what I am learning and encouraging others to watch and learn too. I am thankful that Mike, Leah and all the others have braved the storm to come forward to educate the world on the corrupt organization.
Blessings to all!
Bless you for what you are doing. I am curious, With the inside info and docs that you are sharing, I assume there’s a mole?
Becky.
I was never in, but I really don’t think that a “mole” is needed. LRH himself wrote to the whole world what his intentions was, and how to achieve the destruction of his enemies by fair or foul means. There are so many “X” members now who were high up in the cult that are speaking out, and those who were subject to the brutality of the cult, that the evidence is overwhelming for anyone who actually listens to “Aftermath” and looks at the almost unlimited videos by “X” members of this cult that is on line. I watch the different videos for several hours each day, and find out more and more each time I watch.
Hi Mike, whatever you’re doing keep it up my friend, the cracks are getting bigger, the scientologists are less and less,the whole thing is crushing them and setting people free!!
You know, being that I am a never was, I have a hard time with this “Clear” concept. Does that actually translate into: “If you have stayed in this cult for this long, you are “Clear” out of money, and “Clearly” out of your mind by now. Just wondering.
ha ha ha good one. I knew a clear who was supposed to be clear of his reactive mind. Actually he was out of his mind because I could always hear him endlessly yelling from my room next to him at E. Grinstead…
It means you no longer have a sense of humor.
Oh, thanks for the reply. It means then that when you get this far, you find out that you have been totally F– and it is not funny anymore.
Nailed it.
“our goal is to double the IAS membership”. From 20,000 to 40,000? If I had a billion dollars cash, I could get a million members.
Mike ,Do you know what the peak of membership was ?
My guess is 1992, and 125,000 Scientologit. ?
You would know better.
Did they charter seven planes? A-380s (550 passengers), maybe? Wrong. I think they arranged for a Radio Controlled A-380 model show plus the usual hype!
Mike notes that, “There are less than 50,000 people on earth who have EVER been declared Clear. And there are more who are dead or have left scientology by a factor of five. I would guess there are a lot less than 10,000 Clears who consider themselves active scientologists today.”
A recent issue of The Auditor (vol. 53, issue 2) provides the official cherch tally of “67,776 and counting”. Of course, many of the early clears are now deceased, and many more are no longer active cult members. Exactly how many of these still-living clears are active Co$ members is a question well worth pursuing because the correct answer to it would provide us with a very direct way of determining the attrition rate at which folks “fall off the bridge” at this crucial point in their journey up it.
By simple inference, one could justifiably assume that if going clear is the incredible accomplishment of many lifetimes that it’s been hyped as, then very few folks would stray from such a rewarding path, especially if the gains to be had further up the bridge are supposed to be even more epic.
Which leads us to a simple question which we should all be pressing the cult for an answer to: Of the still-living clears, how many continue to be active members of the cherch? Indeed, we could ask an even more fundamental question here concerning what constitutes “active member” status, by the cult’s definition?
One way of doing so would be to count the number of still-living clears who have current IaS membership status, then subtracting the number of them who have not completed a major service within the last two years — or whatever other duration of inactivity that might be more appropriate.
Why hasn’t the cherch performed this elementary set of calculations on its own, then published the results (along with graphs tracing the trend line over time) ? Well, I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions there 😉
BTW that 67,000 is not a total. They allocate 51,201 – 51,500 to Sacramento and 51,501 – 52,000 to New York etc. CC Int may have 67,401 – 68,200. Their next CLear might be 67,406.
A high school friend, Tom Pedersen, is listed as clear #5622, ASHO, and again as clear #5638, Thomas Pedersen, AOLA. What are the chances it’s 2 different Tom Pedersens? A lady from SO Lake Forest called me last week and according to her records, I was also clear. I did 2 1/2 yrs 1977-79. Me, clear? LMAO
What is L. Ron Hubbard’s Clear number?
Heh, just kidding.
hgc10,
Well…. since John McMaster was clear #1, Ron must be clear #0.
Actually, Ron stated (if memory is good) on OT3 that he made it though the upper levels because he never agreed to the CC implant so he succeeded whereas no one else in the history of man ever ever ever had. /s.
Ron Hubbard:
The best philosopher
The biggest being in the history of forever
the most unique
the bravest
the smartest
the wisest
charmer of vestal virgins
best calvery general
best whole track memory
best savior of mankind
best knowledge of the mind
best window washer
Only human to uncover OT3
Only human to discover the bank
L Ron Hubbard:
Better than Jesus
More enlightened than Buddha
Best psychologist
Best dangerous spy
Better than Lao Tsu
THE BEST MALIGNANT NARCISSIST EVER!!! YAY!!
Also “Star of stage, screen, and radio — he’s talented, he’s popular, he’s box-office gold!”
I hear he was riding broncos still tied to the umbilical chord.
Hubbard is so OT, he transcends all numbers.
Yes indeed, it’s a very confusing way of going about something that should be simplicity itself.
But even if we begin with the cult’s own, likely-to-be inflated numbers as a point of departure for our own calculations, then the result is still extremely likely to be a very piss poor result.
The obvious question that every self-determined and intelligent $cilon should be asking themselves is: Why are these highly significant indicators of the cherch’s relative degree of success over time NOT being accurately reported and analyzed?
Mike, I know that allocating of large blocks of numbers happened in the past, but I’ve been trying to read numbers off of some of the clear certificates that have shown up in pictures recently, and from the few I can make out they appear to be running more or less sequential regardless of location. So I suspect they’re currently using a system that doesn’t leave significant gaps.
In the past the system lead to various inaccuracies, including numbers out of the blocks that were assigned but not used, so they well have cleared fewer than 67,000 people, but I would guess closer to 60,000 than to 50,000. My bet would be that only around half of those are still alive, and at most a quarter of that remainder are still really in Scientology.
Scientology does seem to have a campaign going to make clears, perhaps approaching 2,000 per year (their historical average, would be closer to 1,000) though a lot of them appear to be the sort of older long-term members who must have been making only very slow progress up the “bridge,” and who are now being pushed (and finally finding the money) to take that step.
The evidence I’m working off of isn’t especially strong, and I realize that you may be privy to better information.
Really, it doesnt matter. 50,000 or 70,000 or 100,000 makes no difference. Even 100,000 is only one in every 70,000 people on earth.
And don’t forget that literally thousands of people have been declared “clear” then un-declared, then declared “clear” again.
Some have been done over as many as 5 times.
Law: If it’s a $cientology generated stat it is false.
You’re right, in the larger scheme of things it matters not all, because the total number of clears made in the entire history of $cn is roughly equal to the net increase in world population (births minus deaths) in just 1/3 of one day!
So, with the annual rate of world population increase at 1.12%, that means the entire planet will be cleared in…umm, never! That’s because until $cn starts cranking out more clears per year than the net increase in the world’s population, that goal is actually getting further and further away.
What accurately reported stats from the cult would tell us, however, would be the relative year-to-year rise or fall of the cult’s rate of creating clears, which we could then graph over time to visualize the trend line, going all the way back to, what was it, 1968, when the cult first started counting.
My bet there is that, even compared to its own performance in recent years, the cult hasn’t 10X’ed any key stat, except perhaps “number of lies told”.
Actuality the stats are way worse than that. To paraphrase Jason Beghe, “show me ONE mother fucking clear”.
Jason Beghe is an absolute genius!! Love his interview, holds nothing back.
Fair enough. I’m something of a numbers guy, and can get lost in the details.
What I think is more relevant, is whether we can trust the numbers observed to give us an idea of how many clears Scientology is currently making each year, which tells us something about what they’re up to according to one of their own important measures – and one of the few ones that we can still see some numbers for. If they were passing out really big blocks that took more than a year to use up, which I doubt they now are, then that would make it pretty hard to figure out trends except over spans of many years. It appears to me that we can compare clear numbers over a year or two, and get a pretty accurate idea of the number actually produced.
It looks like they may currently be producing around 2,000 clears per year, which means they are managing to keep up a pretty good pace, apparently, as I previously noted, by pushing a lot of older and long-term members who have been making very slow progress, to finally make it to that point. But if they’re down below 20,000 in active membership, that may be one of the last great gasps of the Boomer Generation scientologists, and I don’t see how they can could sustain such numbers rather than returning to their long-term historical trend of around 1,000 per year, or even less.
Don’t they just need 10,000 Clear’s for the earth to be Cleared? If you are going by those figures wouldn’t it suggest that Scientology is broken, because there is no sign they are positively changing the world.
This is really sad. In comparison, my parents belong to a Lutheran Church with about 120 members. They held an event on Saturday evening with almost no advertising–and had about 75 people show up. It just shows that all the advertising in the world won’t make up for something that holds little meaning for “members”–especially when the focus is collecting money.
Javier totally got it right when he voiced the following very simple and easy to understand logic: “…to create a boom in the higher statuses, you have to first create a boom in the lower statuses.”
The same simple causal relationship applies equally to getting folks up the bridge. Put another way: If you can’t get the “raw meat” in the doors and started on inexpensive intro courses, then you won’t be able to get them to buy the much more expensive training and processing services on the upper bridge.
What could be simpler to understand!? So, how is the cult doing in this regard? are there lots and lots of newbie $ciloons busting down the cult doors, lining up to see the reges and throwing their life savings at cult sales people in order to rocket up the bridge like never before…like 48X ever before?
It sure doesn’t seem so, despite all the BIG lie propaganda, “Goodyear blimp” level puffery. Indeed, visit any Class V org in the land, or do your best to find one of the cult’s rapidly vanishing missions, on any given day and you’ll “observe for yourself” that the places are virtually empty, with very few to no newbie $cilons doing their lower bridge training in any given week.
So, these delusional OT committee cultists would do well to remember that you can’t even get folks to donate for the lower level IaS statuses unless they’re on the bridge to begin with. So, milking the few remaining marks twice as hard won’t do shit if no new members are joining up. In fact, with no new sheeple to fleece, the cult can not survive over time and will eventually collapse in on itself on this basis alone.
Is that what’s happening right now? It sure seems so to me, but since the official cherch has been false reporting or omitting its key success stats for years, you’re going to have to make that determination for yourself by following Elron’s direction to “look, don’t listen” to what’s occurring in these Idle Morgues and moribund missions.
Mike, a far cry from the 90s when Flag was full. And Sue Young exSO, ex president of CCI. Good luck on motivating all the OT Embassadores who are tapped out of money and time.
The goal is to double IAS membership? What kind of downstat goal is that? We need orders of magnitude expansion in IAS rolls. I’m thinking 10x or perhaps 100x is better!
YEah, it’s a bit strange if every ideal org equates to 10X expansion and scientology has expanded 43X or whatever they say that their massive goal is to 2X.
” But they saved the best for last. They are having to do an OT Ambassador “Recovery Pgm” — and there are ONLY 300 OT Ambassadors in the Tampa Bay Area. Remember, scientology claims they are 10% of the population (that would be 14,000 in Clearwater)… ”
I suppose the next area to be recovered will be LA followed by the Bay Area and Sacramento.
Yo Dave,
Why not offer up a free clean up action to all ‘ambassadors’ such as a gang bang sec check followed by ethics handling from Julian. I’m sure if You say it is free there will be a lot of takers. 🙂 !
But You might have to also offer up an amnesty program for those that have been watching the Aftermath.
And I’ll bet a bunch have, too. Hidden in their rooms watching Aftermath. Realizing they’ve been had. Then depression sets in.
So 7 charter flights reallly ,and how did they get this info. More than likely Facebook from the companies who advertise via the net for charter fly ops. Do a little surfing that should I say skewed facts. Pathetic attempt we who visit this site and give our insight about this cult we are just too smart for you $cn tactics. Which means millions upon millions know you all are in a cult that does harm to their sheeple. Dave run but we will get you in time and wait for the civil suits buddy your going to lose huge.
What’s that I hear?
Oh, it’s the sound of the death rattle.
Dave, the lies are being revealed. It’s only a matter of time.
Have you planned your escape to live on an undisclosed street in a mobile home?
I’m thinking that’s not your style. I’m thinking you have an scape plan with more perks.
We are witnessing the end of the Scientology era of control.
The tipping point has been reached. This is truth.
I am sooooooo happy.
I have commented a while back that I worked for the Corps of Engineers in the mail room, and the cult sent out bags of Dianetics to all the people who worked in the building (3 stories). I would imagine about 150-200 people. Each person had their name on each book (how they got that I have no clue). My question is: Are they going to send out information to those people also. This happened back in the early 80’s.
When I visited the Portland site, the guy asked me (fellow of perhaps 30) what I had done for work before I retired. His comment was “You must have a good retirement.” This poor sap looked at me for I bet a full minute, and I could almost read his mind of “I have no retirement, nor wages at this place.” Perhaps I should have asked him about his wages and benefits, but I didn’t have the heart.
I’ll bet he was thinking “He has a good retirement … he’s a cash cow. I’ve gotta hook this one! My superiors will be so pleased with me!” $$$$$
He did ask me what I would like to change (what is my pain, button, etc) to push. I told him “are you kidding, I have it made, and would not change a thing.” At that point he thanked me for coming in and ended the interview. LOL. Not much of a salesman I would think. LOL. Oh, and he did say that the e-meter is 20-25 more informative than an “lie detector” but when asked in which way, he was at a loss of words. LOL. I did have fun.
Because he took so long to “grade my analysis” I was thinking that he was looking up my credit card, bank statement, etc. Sadly for him, wrong name, wrong address. LOL.
For the Dublin, Ireland grand ribbon yanking, they chartered 7 flights to bring people in from all over the world. Well this explains where they get the crowds for each grand opening of Idle Orgs. Besides photo shopping, they fly them in from all over…. Seven, yes 7 airplanes were chartered to bring in attendees because they didn’t have enough members in the area they were opening up. How many people do you think each airplane holds?
Makes one ponder, why open an ideal org when there are likely not enough folks to fill a regular mission or org? I know it’s the brain child of DM (& likely his lawyers to make certain cash is flowing out from reserves, but can still be maintained in a real estate portfolio of assets) but to fly in people in, who will leave and not partake in services isn’t about just showing support for their ‘expansion’ it’s about sheering more wool to pull down over the eyes of those who want to believe, and to support the inflated claims they use for PR.
But to your original question (sorry was on a soap box for a moment) the planes can’t hold enough people to keep the farce going, much less the sustainment of the organization without milking the current membership and dipping into CoS reserves.
It really sucks being a Scientologists nowadays. There’s no future in this cult. Zero. Zip. Nada. And, it’s just going to get worse.
Dude, Amish Al once told me….. “his sect has all the “Hot Women”……?
Holy shit! Sign me up! Can I have more than one?
Keep a good thought, you just made my day, no more Scamology.
Cindy,
The Bombardier-8 seats under 40. 7 planes makes for 280 max. About what seems were present.
Thanks, Jim. I remember the Battle of Portland. I hopped a plane to go there after the “Call to Arms” urging and keying in of earlier similar calls to arms. They had a LOT of Scns show up in Portland to protest the Julie Christopherson court battle. Amazing how they could quickly get that many to show up in Portland and yet they can’t get much of anyone to show up for the ribbon yanking new Idle Org. The ones that did show up were flown for free there in the 7 chartered airplanes. The comparison of Portland, OR to now shows me that we have lost a lot of people and the church is really circling the drain as far as members goes.
Hello Everyone. 7 planes to fly people around to the grand openings is just those who are still down on the bottom of the bridge. For those who have achieved the higher levels, they just have to raise their arms and fly themselves to these events.
Four. Maybe five if they’re realllly small.
He was trying to figure out how much moola you have access to right away. FYI keep your credit cards and cash at home.
Believe me, my wallet stayed in my pocket. We never got any further on the subject.
While on the subject of money. Raise hands of those who think that DM has a rowboat loaded with cash ready to go the way of LRH to a country that will not send him back. OOOOH, that many hands. WOW!!!
Rowboat? What, Downdin Meridian do work?!
I believe that the bagpipes was to stir the hearts of the members to grab their claymores and charge into the ranks of the SPs. Repent or else.
I guess we’ll need fire hoses to repel the body routers.
Oh, let’s not be too harsh on these guys. All they need is for COB to discover some new tech left behind in LRH’s underwear drawer, then they can learn how to achieve another 47X expansion. I think I’m getting the hang of this.
I wouldn’t think of opening up his underwear drawer…unless I was in a hazmat suit.
What pattern UNDEROOS does he wear do ya think OSD??? Do they have ones with little leprechauns on them?
Whoa! You’re good, Balletlady! He did have jammies with leprechauns on them! I’m impressed!
Thank you for my laugh of the day, kengullette!
“Orlando WD 40”. It can fix a lot of stuff but I don’t think even pairing it with the ubiquitous Duct Tape will fix what’s wrong here.
Somehow reminds me of a line from British B movie I saw years ago: “Me mum says if it don’t work, give it a bash.”
There ain’t nothin’ duct tape can’t fix. Imagine wrapping the dwarf in duct tape…5 inches thick.
Sorry to hear that Leona Fine is a lifer in that place.
Her choice…just like the rest of us.
There is more than just a similarity here between playing monopoly as there is in playing Scientology – both games are all about the money. I’ve got an idea for them. Why don’t they introduce a “get out of a declare card?” Or an Ethic’s Protection (EP) card for all seasons type of thing.
It could be sold on a buy two get one free kind of system. Say $10k is the base unit of one card and that ensures you get ethic’s protection for your next 3 misdemeanours, two crimes or revokes one SP declarable act. But if you buy two now for $20k, an extra card is throw in for free, ie you get 9 misdemeanour ‘look the other way,’ 6 crime forgets or 3 SP declares squashed (you can get to keep 3 family members for at least another year, the more family/friends you have, you more cards you’ll need). I’m sure a better system will evolve as the reges groove it in and management pilots new programs and analyses the stats.
Remember if it’s not fun it’s not Scientology!
Ohhhh… a Scientology insurance policy system… now there’s an opportunity for the administratively gifted to spread their wings with the fine print and get at some real money, or geezers – A Scientology Bank – now we’re really motoring! (IAS CCards with Davy’s smiling face on them an all).
We need to focus on the opportunity here.
> Ethic’s Protection (EP) card
Hmmm. That is a very good point. During the middle ages, the catholic church sold indulgences so you could sin without consequence (both before and after). It’s a great way of making money (that’s sarcasm – it’s an incredibly immoral way of making money).
Reading this made me wonder why scientology doesn’t do this but then i realized that it actually does, in two different ways. The most comparable way is by soliciting donations to the IAS. Many ex-scientologists have mentioned that they were pressured to give to the IAS to get out of an ethics cycle. So that is one ‘voluntary’ – coerced, but still technically voluntary – way that scientology sells indulgences.
The other way is by requiring payments and is involuntary. That is the function of – well, i’m not sure. I was going to say ‘sec-checks’ but what i was thinking of was that thing you have to do when your auditor believes you have an overt or withhold that is ‘interfering’ with your progress. Is that what a sec-check is for?
Yes, I tried to be sarcastic and attempted humour about it but you saw the truth of how the system of Scientology works along those exact lines. The Catholic Church did something very similar, this is even explained by Wikipedia –
“By the late Middle Ages, the abuse of indulgences, mainly through commercialization, had become a serious problem which the Church recognized but was unable to restrain effectively. Indulgences were from the beginning of the Protestant Reformation a target of attacks by Martin Luther and all other Protestant theologians…”
The coerced and enforced donation payment system of Scientology not only for its services but for ethics amends takes that concept and embellished it to such an extent it totally smothered all aspects of moral decency, destroyed individuals, their careers and ripped families apart, even costed lives. It became criminal in the extreme and even worse evolved into the expected norm within a parishioner’s mindset. Their eternity was being held for ransom.
It even materialised into a status system as well as a system of auditing/sec check income that was criminally creative, even at a simple org level & all running on auto. Endorsed and encouraged from above with a cleverly pressurised weekly statistical deadline. They couldn’t stop it even if they tried – the same sort of problem the Catholic Church realised hundreds of years ago. Money and corruption are just too powerful a force.
Religion, it’s seriously good business for the creatively inspired criminal.
Yawn, you are really onto something. Scientology Monopoly! OMG, the possibilities…The various Ideal M’Orgs, CCs, Narcanons, Flog, The Oiliness Table, SUMP, The Regges, The IAS Regges, “Go Directly To Ethics”, Int Base, the Ship, The Hole… there’s a wealth of material here to afford hours of pleasurable satire. Seriously, we MUST work this out somehow!
Endless fun around the dinning room table, heaps of wine, music with bits of paper everywhere with ideas, circles and arrows and all. Make Alice’s Restaurant, the theme song with a few minor word changes… “you can get anything you want, at Hubbard’s restaurant… Yep, I’m in!
LoL! Deal! But we need a name for this project, Yawn. Any ideas?
I think it was still going on more recent than the middle ages as I know a very wealthy long time Catholic family (wonderful folks btw), and in one of their rooms in their old victorian vacation home is a framed official pardon from the pope….I think it was dated back in the 1939….very fancy, gold embossed lettering, …picture of the pope……absolving them of all sins past, present and future. I even think it might have been signed by the pope….although I can’t remember exactly.
No, no, no, NO!
I will not have a Smiling Davey credit card in my wallet!
I can picture it: all my other cards would be mangled, torn, and destroyed. There will be tooth marks all over my dollar bills, and the larger denominated ones will simply be disappeared. Ultimately, I will find a burnt hole all through my wallet revealing the happy face of The Avaricious One!
I Yawnalot.
I loved your post. Yea, the cult is missing a beat by not doing your suggestions. Perhaps their 30 members can discuss your suggestions merits in their next X10 meeting that they have.
The Catholic Church already tried a similar scheme many years ago when they sold Indulgences. Those were payments to the Catholic Church to purchase exemptions from punishment for certain sins. Google says: “The Catholic Church sold indulgences in the late medieval period, and their sale motivated Martin Luther to present his “95 Theses.” Indulgences were not a good idea, and are no longer sold by Catholic Churches.
The modern Catholic Church offers something different, called Dispensations. Unlike the Medieval Indulgences they are neither especially egregious, nor used to milk money from ignorant parishioners. Dispensations provide flexibility to deal with certain practical issues, or to make exceptions to Canon law, such as allowing a baptized Catholic to marry outside the Catholic Church.
Scientology could benefit from something like Catholic Dispensations. They could use there own form of Dispensation to allow families to reconnect after long periods of disconnection. Of course, being Scientology, they would charge parishioners a pretty penny for a Dispensation…
Don’t forget their Annulment policy….married in a Catholic Church to another Catholic, had children inside the marriage….but when the marriage is hitting the skids & a divorce occurs….it is NOT accepted. The former “couple” has to file official “Annulment Forms”, present the issue to a Board….& pay through the nose to get the Annulment approved.
Even though the Catholic marriage had given birth to children….there was, with an Annulment….no “real Catholic Marriage….even though there is an “official Church Document of a Marriage between X & Y exists”…….ummmm…..paper shedder please.
Pay through the nose? It cost me $200 in 1991. Its free now. On the other hand, my cousin had six kid with a bigamist and couldn’t get an annulment since she was wife #1. Go figure.
A good friend Linda, whose husband of 4 months LEFT her to be with the girlfriend he had been having an affair with BEFORE they were married (unbeknownst to Linda) tried for an annulment. Since her “then husband Joe) wasn’t going to wait out the annulment process, they got divorced & he married his girlfriend.
When Linda went to the Priest who married Linda & Joe…the Priest told her since Joe would not cooperate about the annulment process, she “could go to the board & state that she didn’t fully understand her marital vows & that way she could get an annulment quickly & the cost then she was informed the cost was $2000 (this was 1970 or so) THAT is what she was told. She told the Priest ” I took my marital vows seriously, Joe did not, why should I have to LIE”……
She opted out on obtaining an annulment & two years later married a lovely man outside of the Catholic Church…they’ve been married over 40 years.
Karma hit her former husband Joe big time, he married that “other woman”, she refused to work & they produced three children & ran him into a great deal of debt with him having to work two jobs to give her everything she wanted. When their last child, their only son was there months old…Joe committed suicide. His mother called Linda to tell her what happened saying “I always loved you Linda, but Joe was my son, so I went along with his decision, even though I never liked his 2nd wife. So sad that his 3 kids with wife #2 got the shitty end of the stick. The Ex got the nice big house, furniture, nice car……and a dead husband who committed suicide due to her greed…..
Ammo, you’re assuming that most normal people nowadays really need or want “dispensation” from their church or anyone to live their lives as they see fit within the laws of the land. I know plenty of Catholics (they call themselves that) who, when it comes to important life decisions – getting married, choosing whom to marry, using birth control, getting their unmarried pregnant daughter an abortion, whether to stay married or get divorced – decisions like these – just make up their minds and act and could not care less what the church thinks about it. Even Prince Harry of England is moving in with and is openly the Baby Daddy for his pregnant girlfriend, a divorced, older woman of 36 who is not of royal blood. He’ll probably marry her too, once she gives birth. That’s how much someone close in line to the British throne cares what the Church of England or his grandmother the Queen of England likes or doesn’t like. I have to say, in my opinion, the days when the majority of civilized people gave a damn what their church or synagogue wanted them to do or not do are largely gone.
So true Aqua, I’ve seen that many times in many religions….especially the Catholic religion where the registered parishioner attends church twice a year…..Easter & Christmas…otherwise you never see them in church.
The local church hands out a large yearly packet of financial donation envelopes….sometimes there are THREE separate collection donation envelops for one Sunday then add to that the annual “Bishop’s Annual Appeal”…..some request $200 to $500 as a “suggested yearly family donation”…..
I personally know a few divorced Catholics who attend church every Sunday…hand in their weekly donation envelop from MR & MRS….& the church takes the money but in THEIR opinion “don’t recognize the 2nd marriage” since the lst spouse is alive & well & the 2nd marriage was performed outside the Catholic Church Marriage.
When they built the new church they sent every registered parishioner a special document…a form to sign more or less a declaration that the household would willingly agree to contribute $$$ WEEKLY for the next ten years for the new church’s mortgage….before the new church was even built. I called that gall…..we really didn’t NEED a new church, the old one was in good repair, built of brick & mortar & around 30-35 years old & never filled to capacity on Sunday….except on Easter & Christmas.
Got it on all, Balletlady. Seems there’s a trend of moving away from organized religion.
I see the makings of a new board game here.
Ohhhh, I like the idea of that! Sort of like where Game of Thrones blends with a cartel of bankers and mortgage/insurance brokers on a Snakes and Ladders board with Hubbard’s Ethics tech the basis of the rules. It is made and produced in Las Vegas with the Triad assisting in the finer details of the penalties imposed for cheating or losing by being unable to pay.
Can we play spin the dwarf?
🙂
Sorry bixntram…..there already IS a game called “Shoots & Ladders”…..just like the Bridge to Total Freedom…..
You go way up the ladder (bridge) only to be SENT back down (the shoot)….to start all over again…..
But didn’t James T Kirk sneak into Star Fleet’s Academy computers and re rig the final test so he could win? Winning can be done, it just depends on what you feel the game is worth. With the Church of Scientology the win is with its eradication. There’s a few players in that game showing some definite promise. Wildcard entries gladly accepted.
That sounds very familiar. You get sent down stream and start all over again.
BTW, with the Pasadena Model, Idle Morgue, the majority of the members are old. Like myself…
LOL
Sorry…..duh…CHUTES & LADDERS…….senior moment there….I used the word “shoots”
In Australia it’s called “Snakes & Ladders.” Figures I suppose with the amount of the deadly damn things we have slithering about the place.
Senior moments – LOL you haven’t got an exclusive on those, of that I can guarantee, no matter what hemisphere you reside.
LOL. Don’t give Davey ideas.
I think I heard one of DM’s assistants or exec get slapped upside the head for not coming up with this idea.
I mean…damn….Does he have to read every blog and come up with these ideas all by himself? Can anyone else do anything? Does he have to do everything? *smirk*
“Create a ‘boom’” and “they do listen to advice from OT’s who have ‘made it up the bridge.’”
????
I know…I laughed when I read that too. I was just wondering if they will have to pay for the advice like when they go to seminars to hear a mighty OT and can’t get out without paying something.
“The unique history of Dublin is that it went straight from being a small mission to turning into an Ideal Org.” Thanks to ‘Slappy’ Dave Miscavige and his power over Money. They chartered seven flights from all over the world? So that’s how they got a crowd together for Dave’s rope yank in a country with about 80 resident sheeple.
Dave likes Ireland because being around leprechauns makes him feel like an even bigger being
ROFLOL!!
He also like being around all that BLARNEY! It makes him feel right at home.
Chee, I’m laughing out loud on your comment
OMG I literally snorted while LOL at work. Thanks.. Needed that.
Yeah I never did understand how he gets away with beating on people. Dude is tiny. Like, I could bellyflop that dude into next week.
I would absolutely love for him to hit a non-Scientologist so he could be KO’d with one punch.
Or in my case smacked with a cane.
Rakaur, I was never around Miscavige but from what I’ve read he is never alone, always has a phalanx of people around him who serve as bodyguards and enforcers. So if COB in a rage or on a whim decks an underling who even dreams of retaliating in kind, he has back up, and, unlike the Dwarf, these henchmen are NOT 5’1″. Marty Rathbun used to serve in this capacity. Now, what I’ve just said has been gleaned from reading only, and I’m willing to be corrected by anyone with first hand knowledge OF iNT Base who were around Miscavige back in the day, including our host, of course.
?… I just watched about 2 minutes of the horror flick, Leprechaun, the other day before I ran out of the room screaming. This hit my funny bone.
It only has that unique history, because for some reason Scientology management decided to jump start the whole process and skip even the pretense of local fundraising – which often now seems to fail, and to have to be augmented with outside funds – and instead completely fund an extra-large, empty, “ideal” org for the smallest local membership ever to get one. Clearly Scientology has some plans to try to establish itself in Ireland, even though there has never been any real interest in it there, and it’s going to be very interesting to see how that gambit works out.
I imagine them rushing around to count any humans that were in the vicinity as a “stat” for these events. Babies in carriers, the mail man, the guy that delivered the pizza…
To suck blood out of a smaller and smaller source has got to be enervating (at least) for the “members”. They go to bed at night stressed out about the next awful event they’re gonna have to prepare for. I would just DREAD that existence.
If you are reading this and still “in”: TRUST YOUR GUT and get out. What you are seeing, viewing, hearing and experiencing is what the church wants you to believe. It’s not the truth though. Please just step out – they cannot hurt you any more than they have. Please!!
It is just amazing to me that they expect everybody to believe all of this crap! Scientology is like the pariah of religions right now and it’s like they are living in a different universe where everything is unicorns and rainbows and in reality they are circling the toilet bowl. I would love to be a fly on the wall the day Little Dave realizes that the membership of his personal profit center has withered down to nothing…that the diehards that are left have no money left to support him…. and that he is stuck being the captain of a global Titanic. He better pay off those cosmetic surgery bills fast….. The day that all of the doors finally open and people can leave without fear is going to be wonderful to see like people who have been asleep for years finally waking up. It can’t come soon enough for families who are suffering. Can’t wait till tomorrow’s show I keep several them on DVR and have seen many of them three times or more because there is just so much information! I wish the shows were two hours long so you could get more in. My heart goes out to all of the families who have been ripped apart…. and all of the children who were raised in this horrible place.
My heart goes out as well. But I know it could take decades for even an irresponsible person to spend billions of dollars of a tax exempt organization.
I expect DM will die of old age, or of cancer of the conscience, long before Scientology runs out of funds.
If Miscavige had any brains he’d do a Werner Erhardt and “sell the practice” to one of his more ambitious lackies and find himself a desert island. But he hasn’t any and he won’t.
Thank you for your support Gail 🙂
SCIENTOLOGY JUNK MAIL ALERT
The sentence that scares me, is:
“…The IAS will be sending out a huge mailing, to every single book buyer internationally…..”
That is significant (a) it gives a list of WHO Scientology considers their “Bookbuyer” category, a significant statistical fact, (b) it’s a pretty substantial cost, at least a half million bucks I estimate, (c) this will result in some people slipping through the cracks of society and into Scientology for temporary participation and frustrations of dealing with Scientology’s operations.
And it gives Miscvige something to crow about in a sentence at the upcoming New Year’s event, and likely this was mentioned at this year’s IAS event.
International “bookbuyers” mailings are not small! They are a great snapshot of Scientology’s self conceived world footprint.
And finally, it will cause worldwide floor litter.
A moments silence for all those poor trees.
They gave their lives for a mutant midget.
Yes, I agree. What a waste. Don’t understand the cult’s fascination with paper. They could email blast 100 thousand people but no, they have to send paper. Awful.
This OT Ambassador Recovery Program sounds like lots of fun… basically, they’re just harassing anyone who hasn’t been declared (and probably some who have been, given their mad record-keeping skillz), I’m assuming?
So now they have to RECOVER OT ambassadors? This does not bode well for the cult. I mean, think of all the slamming doors!
Very glad they’re all blocked from my phone, and I’m looking forward to getting some free postage in the mail so I can return it attached to a brick or something.
“…attached to a brick or something.” True Dat.
Yes, a brick. or a block of cement wrapped in brown paper. I’ll have to find out if that’s legal.
Can’t wait! C’mon, cult, send me some free postage, please, pretty please?
Too bad medical waste isn’t allowed in the mail.
” I would guess there are a lot less than 10,000 Clears who consider themselves active scientologists today.”
A lot less! Looking at the ‘Stop The Aftermath’ petition I’d say the number is closer to 6K. If Dave can only get a tad over that to sign up then where are these other 4000 active cult practitioners?
Yo Clive,
How ya doin on your 10k on or thru target? Last time I heard that spiel was around 2009. I’ll bet more Oh Teas have left, died or been declared than remain on your ‘on or thru’ roster. That means you are going backwards …….. Clive.
They started that 10K on or through Solo Nots game in 2000. That is almost 18 years ago and they still have not made it, not even with counting the OT’s who are now declared. In fact, the number of OTs and members in general is shrinking very quickly. It’s now more like 10K who have applied the “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” reference and have walked out the door.
Cindy! I keep tellin’ you! You’ve got to count all the body thetans, too.
Ah… The 7th Dynamic! Yippee! Plenty of new numbers to be had there too. And those Dudes & Dudetts don’t need no stinking bodies to fed and clothe, wash and do all those types of things. Just blip on Davy’s specially made meter so he can see ’em strut their stuff in thetaland and bingo, an endless supply of new starts!
Those new fancy buildings are to attract ’em from outer space, like those corn field designs and New Mexico ground scratching marks.
Truer words were never spoken.
OSD?..if they are counting thetans then the thetans should, also, pay to walk the “Plank to Total Pee’d On”
“thirty attendees, many of whom routed onto their next service.” With only thirty to begin with, they couldn’t tell how many “ACTUALLY” routed onto a new service? I suspect more than a tad of BS here. LOL
And what exactly was the PURPOSE of Scotland the Brave? Filling time? Hurting ears??? LOL
As a Scot, I can appreciate ‘Scotland the Brave.’
Yep, 500 real scn’ers in Tampa/CW/St. Pete greater metro area is about right. Scamology is almost dead in the USA as the Indie scene is also dead in the water.
LOVE IT! ‘Scamontology’! So true!!!!!
Scientology has been exposed worldwide. It’s just a matter of time…
Okaaayyy……So if “thanks to the IAS there is hope for peace on this planet”……why NOT send the much beloved COB David M. to North Korea to have a one on one with the little fat boy who seemingly does NOT want peace on the planet….Maybe David M can personally guide him up the Bridge to Total Freedom & push him off the face of the Earth (then jump off after him).
Because there are the same: Scientology and Juche
Juche (Korean: 주체, lit. ‘subject’; Korean pronunciation: [tɕutɕʰe]), usually left untranslated,[1] or translated as “self-reliance”, is the official state ideology of North Korea, described by the government as Kim Il-sung’s “original, brilliant and revolutionary contribution to national and international thought”.[2] It says that “man is the master of his destiny”,[3] that the North Korean masses are to act as the “masters of the revolution and construction”, and that by becoming self-reliant and strong can a nation achieve true socialism.[3]
Wikipedia
Balletlady, the OTs don’t need to go to North Korea to run interference for the Tweeter in Chief so that his big mouth doesn’t get us into a nuclear incident. All the Still In OTs have to do is glow it right. Just like they didn’t have to physically talk to old Mikhail G back in the day. They glowed it right; presto! the Berlin Wall came down. They caused that, in the theta universe. Now, having said that, in order for the OTs to glow effectively, more donations are needed. So just open your wallet and do your thang and let the OTs do their thang and a nuclear holocaust will be averted.
And of course I’m being sarcastic but Still In Scientologists DO think this way!
Aqua, your sense of humor is parallel to my own and OSD’s……a TRUE DELIGHT!
Thanks, Balletlady 🙂
This blog is a kind of therapy for me. Another world. Refreshes me by getting my mind off my own pedestrian work issues and onto other problems far greater.
I admire the courage and spirit of the Once Ins who post here.
A number of them have sustained tremendous losses and live with the constant pain of these losses, yet they come here with their heads up and contribute with empathy, understanding, humor, intelligence and wit. I admire them. Sometimes they go off and let off steam, and sometimes its with each other, but so what? They’re under enormous pressure, and bear what they need to bear with a great deal of fortitude.
And those Never Ins like yourself who have been drawn to the blog in empathy and caring for those suffering Disconnection coupled with outrage over the injustice of it all are helping more than you know.
That you and the other Never Ins lurk and post here purely out of your own spontaneous feelings and desire to support an important cause that touches your hearts is a loud and clear validation of this cause to the brave people who together are aligned with Mike Rinder in the knowledge that the truth will always win out over lies, and that the pen IS mightier than the sword.
This post brings back memories of my tenure in Scientology from 1972-1989. I was clear number 5,544 in 1976. It took one of my former friends thirty four years to make OT VIII.
Now he cannot even speak to his daughter. What kind of mental state is that?
The Scientology kind of mental state: You will do what you’re told and nothing else.
His mental state is Class Normal. Scientology normal, that is. Very sad.
Maybe it’s time for the hope-less little pope-less to start selling Indulgences. Call them Re-Connections.
Each Re-Connection sold would require the buyer(s) to submit to several hours of sec-checking each year to keep the Re-Connection in force. One Scientologist (or a Scientologist and spouse) may re-establish a relationship with one SP family member or friend per Re-Connection purchased. Quantity discounts available for large disconnected families, see your Registrar.
Prices are higher if the person to be Re-Connected to ever participated in a documentary or media interview critical of Scientology, or if they ever wrote a blog or website critical of Scientology, or wrote a suppressive book, commentary, or magazine article.
People who ordered toilet paper with DM’s visage printed on it have have been wiped from the roll of eligible participants; they are permanently assigned a new degraded condition of PSP (Phew Stinky Pooh).
Incredible, George. Almost too far out to believe. Its just – too sad, that’s all. Too cruel.
“In orders of magnitude this event was 10X any prior IAS event.” I love the way they give absolutely no statistics to back this up. Possibly they mean there was ten times as much food available as any previous IAS event, or ten times as many toilet rolls laid on to cater for the ten times as much BS spouted?
No, it was 10X the hype
Sure. I can believe that. And I’m a Jedi Knight.
Yes, they’re not keen on giving exact numbers, are they? I spotted at least a couple of “quite a few” in there. How many? Oh, quite a few!
“Quite a few.” The new term for numbers of people in any Idle Morgue.
Because nothing says ‘Clearwater, Florida’ like a bagpipe rendition of Scotland the Brave
?… I can’t even…
LOL, yeah like a bunch of medieval sword wielding horseman at full gallop represents the IAS.
But it must have something to do with bagpipes!?! It’s an international thing! Maybe Old Surfer Dude can enlighten us. As an Aussie soldier in my youth I remember very well marching around in the summer heat with the flies doing official parades for the big brass, dignitaries and royalty from all sorts of countries etc. Standing smartly to attention in the sun for hours not understanding a thing they were dribbling on about while gripping a sweaty, oil coated rifle and then keeping step while marching to the sound of Scottish Bagpipes, and that’s in the Commonwealth of Australia. Geezers it must have stinking hot in those Scottish band uniforms with those huge hats! Did look pretty though.
I’m guessing it’s because the founding fathers of the IAS signed ye ole “Pledge to Mankind” back in the days of yore, Saint Hill Manor, England.
Should Scotland ever choose independence and the UK collapses, the IAS may have to rethink its choice of musical instrument. Out with the Highland pipes and in with the Northumbrian. Or Cornish. Alternatively, they could opt for the simple lyre or fiddle.
I’d also be very excited to see “The World’s Coolest Religion” adopt the humble Morris Dance for its events. Especially if Miscavige got involved. Hell, I’d head straight back into the fold just so I could catch a glimpse of COB gaily prancing around on stage, waving his hankie.