For new readers at this blog, this comic strip is a weekly satire of all things scientology.
It’s written by a former scientologist to speak to former scientologists. Some of the concepts and language may be difficult for those new to the subject to understand. But notwithstanding, I doubt the big picture or overall message will not be understood. RB has earned a well-deserved reputation for insights into the mind of those still in the bubble of scientology that you won’t find anywhere else.
Enjoy.
As a never-in, I’ve found RB to be a great window into the minds of members. The author manages in a few panels to create real characters with real struggles. It captures the complexity of their situations and gives the reader understanding and the ability to sympathize with those trapped. Thank you, Mike, for hosting it and thanks to the author for such a worthy work.
Merry Christmas to Mike and family, Regraded Being, and all who comment here. I wish you all a wonderful day and a re-connected year ahead 🙂
Merry Christmas Mike and family,the whole family. May 2017 bring you “reconnection”.
“Bartender, give that midget dressed in a silly naval uniform a drink on me. It looks like he needs it.”
Here I am on 12/23/16 & here is another of RB’s Gems.I first came upon all these amazing strips in Jan 2014,when I bumped into Mike’s Blog.The colors were what drew me in but the further I went with each series I can see now how RB has woven with words,art and incredible inside working knowledge of the cult then & now,a tapestry which has force just as Aftermath does.RB I have followed you ever since and I send you light ,laughter,love ,and peace this Christmas and all the New Year long.Thank you for your support and love to you always.?
Keep it up Mike, let the world know, we’re behind you!
I was watching your show (on demand) and the heart breaking emotions of ex-church members (including yourself) losing family members through brainwashing tactics. Growing up in the Tampa Bay area (including St. Pete, Clearwater, and Tampa) in 1969, I would witness the ‘start’ of the church, the growing of the church through the years, but I never felt the want or need to search for any answer through an organization that required “uniforms” and didn’t believe in doctors/hospitals. You have exposed this Cluster of mini-dictators and enormous Monsters trapping these “knowledge seeking people” to the world!! My thoughts and prayers go out to EACH of the “survivors” who escaped…but also to the lost loved ones. Remember, “we” may not be around to see it….however, Karma IS a BITCH. There is a long line at the Clearwater Building. You and Leah are right!! To present THIS MESSAGE hurts the “Church” more than anything else! We’ve got your back!
RB should know that I am a huge fan of his cartoon strip. I have said it before, but it bears repeating, he is a cartoonist in the most profound sense of the word. Clever cartoonists have brought dictators and bad politicians down, and I think this strip may bring good people out of scientology. If only they knew that the “wog” world wishes them the best, and that ordinary people, if given a chance, will go to extreme lengths to help others- without VM jackets and photo ops. RB’s strip also gives me hope that disconnection will be defeated by the weight of families demanding the right to love their children, siblings, parents and grandparents.
Thanks for your strip RB. It’s always good to laugh at ourselves. I’ve noticed that’s one thing the church of scientology cannot do at all. No sense of humor. Says a lot.
Merry Christmas to you and your family RB. Looking forward to the year 2017 (or as long as it’s still around in 2017) being filled with many more moments of sarcasm and humor relating to the demise of the church or david miscavige’s. It’ll be a hoot.
The cult has absolutely no sense of humor. Zero. Zip. Nada. But, they sure provide us with plenty of laughs!
Oh the irony.
What a wonderful strip, RB. Thanks for your work!
This place is packed these days, wow! I really do feel the end game has begun. Glory to Rinder and the Rebellion, 17 will see the final battle
RB, you’ve just been just killing it lately! Thanks for all the comic relief! I’m still chuckling at this line by the wife concerning one of her co-workers, “Her eyes welled up with tears and she begged me not to ‘fair game’ her”.
$cientology and scientologists are ridiculous and laughable, but they’re also dangerous and remorseless, so that kind of fear reaction is entirely warranted.
However, for those of us who’ve been aware of the evil that lies at the dark heart of this killer cult for some time now, we’re not only unafraid, we’re coming after you, lil davey and all of your evil minions too. A half century of crimes against humanity, massive financial fraud and North Korean-style brainwashing is way more than quite enough! Now it’s your turn to be on the defensive and feel the pain; we’re done with all that fearful cowering and absolutely refuse to take it any more, or to stand quietly by as others are victimized by your vicious criminal group posing as a religion.
Like this cartoon $cilon couple who found themselves becoming social pariahs at their workplaces, Leah’s series is “danger pointing” the wider society about just how malicious, malignant and dangerous this killer cult actually is. And, as a result, the very best thing that anyone like them who’s still in can do is disconnect from the cult before it forces you to disconnect from your loving family! It’s only going to get worse inside the bubble and, pretty quickly, no one is going to want to be known as The Last Scientologist.
Sure, you WERE an idiot for staying in for so long after you correctly intuited how far south the cherch had gone; and spending all that money on exorcising imaginary disembodied space alien spirits that were stuck to you by the thousands was a REAL waste of resources. However, better to get out now and cut your losses because it just keeps getting worse, never better. Besides, you’re hardly alone out here; there are thousands and thousands of exes who made the exact same mistakes as you have, so you’ll find no condemnation here, because to do so would be to judge and condemn ourselves. You’re isolated, alone and in fear while you remain inside the bubble, but there’s plenty of good company and support for every recovering $cilon out here…make the break today and take your family with you! I absolutely guarantee that you will look back on it as one of the very best things that you’ve ever done in your life!
One of the Milestones of Miscavology was the enshrinement of being a bubble dweller as the definition of Responsibility: RESPONSIBILITY: THE NON-RECOGNITION AND DENIAL OF THE RIGHT OF INTERVENTION BETWEEN ONESELF AND ANY BEING, IDEA, MATTER, ENERGY, SPACE, TIME OR FORM, AND THE ASSUMPTION OF FULL RIGHT OF DETERMINATION OVER IT.”
Some of the Best Authorities, when questioned, assured me this was valid LRH…..I remain skeptical, as I have heard the 1952 formative lectures on the subject, which cover the scale of responsibility.
I’m just pointing it out as DM works on a different set of rules, and will always assert his rightness, despite his lying eyes.
Tom I read that definition as meaning a responsibile person would not recognize any intervention (synonyms: interference, intrusion, meddling, interruption) between himself and anyone or anything, and would deny the right of any such intervention.
Now that you bring it up, I see this definition of responsibility as the exact LRH reference that indicates the church’s denial of the rights of members to watch the Leah series – or look at or read anything else – takes away their responsibility and is a direct violation of LRH.
I doubt the big picture or overall message will not be understood. Shouldn’t that be misunderstood?
No — if it didnt say “not” it would be “misunderstood”
I’ve been misunderstood for decades. But, Mike fixed it so I’m not.
My son got me up and running re Leah’s show, Mike. That was tough watching it at times (episode 4). You and Leah are doing an incredible job! Do you have any numbers on the 4th episode? I think the first episode was 2.1 million. Looking forward to the next one.
OSD,
Stats come out on Thursdays at 2 PM. Remember? Sheeeessh!!
Somewhere I saw the number for episode #2 of 2.6 million. Waiting for numbers on the Special and episode #3.
DM has to be s***ing over the existence of the shows, PLUS the damned increasing stats.
I diligently searched for the numbers on the other episodes and could not find them. Glad to know the numbers are not out yet.
What about all the repeats? How do those count? If Leah is on, I watch it again and again. Christmas night with Leah and Mike! What more can I ask for?
I was thinking the same thing, Jim! The viewership is growing! And growing…..
Mr. Rinder,
Like everyone else, I have watched the episodes. While I have no association with this organization, nor any family members, this cult-like organization seems to be both over state and federal law. I do know there is a location inside a small shopping center in Houston, Texas. I feel silly writing this since I have no association but would like to do something about it?
Prior to watching the series, I read Jenna’s Miscavige-Hill’s book. Disturbing account of her life under the control of this organization.
I’m Carrie, living in Houston, Texas. Currently a laid-off oil&gas administrative assistant looking for a career change or way to pass the time looking. Hence my new blog “Underground Job Snatchers.”
sqeekchair – PLEASE – go to the Houston Church of Scientology – tell those poor saps the truth about Scientology. I have a relative down there who is drinking the koolaid. She needs help! Tell them very nicely to just watch A&E – Leah Remini’s show and see what they think.
Maybe you can help get them out.
Just a quick FYI Mike. In the 3rd panel of the comic, the word “go” should be “got” but don’t worry, I go it! LOL
Rats!!!! Back to Qual!
There is a difference between “misunderstood” and “not understood.” Not understood is no comprehension whatsoever, as though someone was speaking a language you do not understand. Misunderstood is assigning a meaning to what was said that is not what the speaker intended; you understood SOMETHING, just not the message the speaker intended to convey.
I don’t understand……
Lucky you! I’ve never understood.
OSD….I hope you have a very happy first Christmas for Festivus!) with your new grandson!
And here … [take off on a Bruce Lee spoof] … are people who have lost understanding … here are those who do not understand …
… and here are those who do not understand, but have hope of understanding …
… here are those who understand “Nada” …
… these people here understand understanding, but do not know what to understand
… these here are beneath understanding …
… these here are misunderstood …
… here, these people misunderstand understanding, but have standing …
… these here have no standing, but understand …
By the laws of multiplicative grammar, “doubt” x “not” => positive for “understood”
I myself had to read it twice to get the arithmetic worked out.
Ms. B. Haven said it very well, “Finally something snapped and the blinders came off.” $cientology, the Aftermath is snapping off blinders. Probably not as many as we would like, but still, some will come off. Every escape, every clam going under the radar, every ‘no I won’t join the SO, nor will my child’, cuts down the numbers of paying customers that are in thrall to Miscavage.
And it is Miscavage that everyone who calls themselves a ‘$cientologist’ in in thrall to. The writ of the dead master may be the excuse to keep the scam running, but everything is at Davy Miscavages whim. And whim it is, Lron’s commands can be interpreted in any way you want.
Is my needle bouncing or slamming? Are my ‘donations’ enough, or does the C/S and ethics have an up to date credit report? What status do I have buy now?
The real pressure in $cientology comes from within, not with out. And the ‘outs’ have never been more willing to help you get out.
Starving the beast of the food that sustains it by “danger pointing” the wider public so that no one new comes through the doors to provide it with the cash or indentured servants that it needs to survive will definitely work over the long run. Meanwhile, efforts to bring pressure to bear on legislators and oversight agencies at all levels of government could hasten the corporate cherch’s demise by cancelling its tax-exempt status, outlawing child labor and the like.
If only the cowed and craven sheeple inside the bubble would wake the fuck up and look at what’s right before them and understand that lil davey is the true Super SP on $cn’s lines who has crashed the cherch’s key stats, unmocked the entire upper management structure, terrorized individuals, destroyed families and kept them in constant fear and dread.. He’s undoubtedly enriched himself and the high-dollar lawyers who’ve benefited financially more than anyone else, and done so while rank and file $ea Orgy staff barely survive on prison industry wages and have no retirement or guaranteed medical benefits at all. This corruption and inequitable treatment that no one with a conscience should support or allow to continue!
HF sez: “…while rank and file $ea Orgy staff barely survive on prison industry wages and have no retirement or guaranteed medical benefits at all.”
I have to disagree with your numbers here HF. The prison in my neck of the woods pays $1.10 per hour and the inmates get medical benefits but no retirement. That’s BETTER than the average $ea Orgy staff member gets. However, this equation does not factor in time. The inmates will only get $1.10 per hour for 8 hours a day maybe 5 or 6 day a week for the length of their sentence. The $ea Orgy member will get their pittance for wages for the next billion years or so. That being the case, the $ea Orgy member will most likely come out ahead financially unless they get busted or blow and end up flipping burgers at some greasy spoon. If that’s the case, at least they’ll have a full belly and some much needed sleep.
I know, hard to imagine, but I was being generous with that estimate 😉
And imagine adding even more injury and insult to those horrible wages and horrible working conditions when you as a $ea Orgy staff member are hit up to buy lil davey the slave driver another fabulously expensive b-day gift each year. That’s just sooo sadistically humiliating!
Dude has everything, lives like a sultan and undoubtedly has amassed huge personal wealth, yet all these poor overworked, mistreated and impoverished souls need to buy HIM a gift…grrr, GRRR!
Mike – I hope you let newcomers know that Regraded Being has his/her own link on your site so they can view all of the wonderful strips we’ve all been able to enjoy since the strip started. They are nothing short of brilliant, and are written in love.
AliceGraves, are you related to Michael Graves who used to work at Sterling Mgmt Systems?
I’m amused by two things in the RB strip today that David Miscavige might, in his desperation, use to try to “dead agent” the Regraded Being strip. First, note that the two Scientologists in the strip are being treated differently by their co-workers. That’s “religious discrimination” right there — and it’s probably good for fund-raising for one of the human rights front groups.
And of course the comment at the end where the son-in-law is (humorously) suggesting that he wants to get his father-in-law to help with restoring his car for free could be portrayed as Scientologists being exploited for free labor if they leave the safe world of “The World’s Most Ethical People(tm)” and attempt to function out in the “wog” world. Talk about out exchange!
Of course, in order to use this “dead agent” tech on his flock, Miscavige will have to publish the strip so everyone still in the True Believer category can see just how evil we bitter defrocked apostates are. Given the comic ineptitude of the remaining browbeaten staffers, it could happen…
” (humorously) suggesting that he wants to get his father-in-law to help with restoring his car for free ”
You know John P, it could be that he is looking forward to spending some time with his Father-in-law doing something that is fun. Yes, the cult measures EVERYTHING by exchange …….. except sharing time with others while having some fun.
I guess they could go down and help Kathy Morrow and the Valley Morgies work on central files. Now THAT is what I would call fun with good cult style exchange.
I’d love to see lil davey the rage-filled midget take on RB’s sardonic and biting wit! I’m sure he’s fit to be tied every Friday when he can’t help but read whatever new lampoonery and unmerciful skewering he and cult have suffered in this week’s RB comic strip.
The cult has done it’s very best to seize upon the religious bigotry angle, but almost no one is attacking the cult for its laughably bizarre space opera belief system (which they won’t even publicly acknowledge to begin with!). Instead, we’re solely concerned with how the cherch treats people.
Underneath all that high-pitched, butt hurt whingeing lies a classic straw man argument that is itself quite hilarious. That’s because any serious inquiry into that charge would inevitably lead to the question of what exactly ARE the core beliefs and fundamental tenets of $cn? And they REALLY don’t want to go there!
Xenu only knows, the very last thing that the cult wishes to put on display are its real central beliefs, which you’ll need to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in order to gain access to…that is, unless you check them out on the internet and decide to save yourself the expense 😉
Yes indeed. At last the concentration on the abuses and sheer criminality of their actions in a format anyone can comprehend! Going on & on at length into how wrong the technical side of Scientology is will always be a gray area of non understanding for most, it’s incomprehensible for the most part unless you’ve lived it. But wow, the incredible interview with Tom de Vocht & Ron Miscavige left me speechless. A brilliant segment that even blind Freddie could understand. I thought episodes 1-3 were a knock out but it just gets better and better. The screen literally comes alive with their messages.
I sort of disagree with one thing Leah said and that was that she doesn’t want to go war with them. It has happened anyway, whatever she thinks. The best a card carrying Scientologist can do is fear & hate anything not Scientology endorsed and their leader is certifiable, violent and criminally insane. Best of luck Leah, history should look very favorably on your media skills, this is new territory. Yours and Mike’s compassion for life shines through very clearly. Keep up the offensive, it’s the only direction available.
The son-in-law has it right. Working on the Mustang will help Dave clear his head.
They should take their time. Read the evil internet.
Eventually, they likely will attain two full levels beyond OT VIII. The new level is called “OT eX”, Fully Scientology Released.”
It’s a state where one gains the ability to:
–spot lies that were deeply implanted on one’s this-lifetime whole track,
–discover deep-seated confusions regarding the actual ownership of one’s bank account and retirement savings,
–spot areas of previously invisible long-term heavy suppression and completely blow them,
–expand one’s dynamics by orders of magnitude into the larger world,
–fully handle any fears and compulsions regarding the need to write KRs and CSWs.
–actually be more able to “communicate freely with anyone on any subject”,
This level can take a few weeks to a few years, as it is highly tailored to (and by) the individual. It is done at the individual’s own pace, and requires no lengthy set-ups or eligibility steps, and is available free of charge to parishioners when they are ready for it.
But one must work hard at it, particularly at the beginning of the level, as you will be confronting things you’ve not confronted for eons.
But with persistence, you’ll move up the tone scale through anger and resentment and reach a state of calmness and certainty you’d never dreamed was possible at all your previous levels on the bridge.
Your responsibility level will increase and you’ll want to contribute to help others achieve the state you’ve attained.
OT X. You won’t be getting a cert from the church to acknowledge your state but chances are fair that they may Declare you’ve attained it.
——–
Welcome to life outside the bubble, Dave and Cathy. It’s really good out here.
spot on, John Doe! 😀
Great post RB. The A&E series has to be causing these types of reactions and one can only hope it has a snowball effect with members inside the church. Unfortunately, my son works for a SCN owned/run company, so I’m pretty sure they write KRs on one another and they are carrying on as usual.
RB you are on top if it.
Hell. I would give up Scientology for a 67 Mustang! If he has a Shelby GT, or (gasp) GT 500, that is a whole next level.
I’m laughing and crying Mike. If such scenes as the ones in the strip could happen everywhere, the world would be a better place.
So true, love conquers all and without love nothing is worth a hoot. In the spirit of Christmas, the words of Paul from 1 Corinthians 13 (NIV):
“13 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
“4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
It is worth noting that the Greek word translated here as “love” is “agape”, sometimes translated as “charity” or “loving-kindness” or “brotherly/sisterly love” since English does not have the word in it. And of course it is not on the Emotional Tone Scale.
But it is in our hearts on days like today, and all the Ethics Orders and Shermanspeak in the world cannot banish it entirely.
Excellent Bruce!
You can run but you can’t hide. Scientology has swung full circle now that their abusive practices have been aired for all to see. They are now getting world wide recognition for all the wrong reasons.
It’s going to get really, really tough for the bubble dweller from here on out. But that’s life. It’s time to wake up for all Scientologists and smell the coffee (the elephant in the room wants a cup too).
Merry Christmas to all. I’m old fashioned and like the term Christmas. Not everyone has a holiday season at this time of year.
Merry Christmas, I Yawn! I’m a traditionalist, too.
Merry Christmas to you, and to Mike, Aqua, Marildi, others I’ve “talked” to here, and all (even my real close buddies here who think I’m brainwashed, delusional, Xenu Himself, etc.).
Nice comment, Nickname. I will join in and wish you and Mike and everybody here a Very Merry Christmas, inclluding all my sparring partners. 🙂
I got a Christmas card from Xenu. He’s a bit lonely up in that mountain trap but says he’s doing OK now that the Dwarf gets more of the negative attention. I guess it’s tough being blamed over and over for a misunderstanding 65 million years ago. Geezers… are we ever going to let bygones be bygones? He asked.
‘Tis the SEASON! 🙂
Your comic strips can be funny RB, but they can also be a source of hurt.
I have a friend who is in this exact situation but her parents are NOT responding in this way. This strip provides hope to those who want their loved ones to take an honest look at their ‘church’, but there aren’t that many people who are willing to take that honest look. For those of us who are ex-scientologists, all we have to do is remember back to those times when we refused to look. We all did this many many times. Finally something snapped and the blinders came off. Once you’re out, it just seems baffling that someone won’t just have a conversation with you about their beliefs like most other people are willing to do. Most people will be more than willing to talk about their beliefs and experiences whether it is religion, politics, relationships, education, work, etc. Sometimes those conversations can be difficult, but I have almost always found them to be fruitful and interesting. Scientologists have walled themselves off because they can’t discuss their beliefs, their case, etc. In short, they can’t discuss what is supposedly most important to them and their group.
Thanks to efforts like Leah & Mike (and many others) are making, maybe more of those inside the bubble will be willing to have an honest look and then be able to communicate freely about their experiences, but until that happens, it can be very painful for those on the outside waiting for those on the inside to unshackle themselves.
Carry on and keep up the good work.
Leave it to RB to translate what you read about this week into a cartoon that catches what is going on in the trenches.
Your 2015 work was great but 2016 even better.
Because of you andothers in a couple of years your cartoons will not be needed anymore because families have been reunited and the Morgues transformed into homeless shelters.