One of the most galling things about scientology is their claim they are “pro-family” and consider relationships and communication the most fundamental things in life.
Mother’s Day slams home the cruelty of what scientology ACTUALLY practices when it comes to familial relations.
For everyone out there who IS connected to their mother, please enjoy this day and make it special. You never really appreciate the value of family until it is no longer available to you.
But in remembering and enjoying the good, let’s not forget the horrors of disconnection enforced by scientology. Some of the most heartbreaking stories concern mothers who have had their sons and daughters forcibly removed from their lives by this inhumane practice. Unfortunately, it also goes the other way — both Christie and I lost our mothers to disconnection because we were declared suppressives by the organization.
Here are just 3 of hundreds, if not thousands, of similar stories, each repeating the same scenario. These examples are over many years, told in different formats:
Sara Goldberg, documented in the St Petersburg Times: Sara’s Choice Scientology clergy force mother to choose: son or daughter
Lori Hodgson details the estrangement of her son and daughter in her book: A Mother’s Heartbreak How Scientology Destroyed My Family
Mary Kahn who told the story of losing her son Sammy in the first season of The Aftermath (unfortunately, the links are messed up at this site and it takes you to the home page and displays the finale episode, but if you look below for the individual episodes and click on Season 1 Ep 3 The Bridge you will see the right video).
Mike, I cannot imagine losing my mother like that. She was very Catholic and still did not reject me because I am gay. Even my Protestant rock and roll church friends told me they could never reject their children for being gay, or anything else.
Just know that it is not you who failed. Much love.
The fact that Scientology is able to do this is beyond cruel. Scientology says they are the most humanitarian religion yet they cause so much harm Tearing appart families. There’s nothing humanitarian about it. It is a different type of horrible.
Happy Mother’s Day
I have come to realize that Scientology is producing narcissistic people , unable to feel other’s pain or struggle.
When I lost my daughter to disconnection I was lucky enough to be able to fight and get her back . That drove my sister , a hard core believer , kind of crazy as she said with a straight face that the correct thing to do was to shut up and let the disconnection take place .
I was flabbergasted at her lack of understanding of the pain and despair involved , it was absolutely obvious to her that one has to accept disconnection , even though she has children .
Unable to feel . It was in fact all about her and how it would reflect on her that she couldn’t handle me.
I read Tony Ortegas blog today. Seeing all the people who lost their mother’s and childer because of Scientology shatterd my heart.
I recently watched one of the episodes of the Aftermath other than Mary’s episode that made me cry was the one where Leah’s sisters and mother and your wife were in. And I remember both you saying how you tried to go visit your mom so you could tell her that you loved her and so she could meet Christie but Scientology took her away. And I remember how Christie explained that she couldn’t see her mother because of Scientologys disconnection policy. And how they have never met your children.
I think that episode hit me the hardest because of that.
Mike, on Mother’s Day, my heart always goes out to you. I remember your earlier thwarted attempts to visit your mother and then the later heartbreak of discovering she had died in 2013 because someone was brave enough to send you an email letting you know about it. I was at my mother’s bedside when she died. To be denied that simple privilege because you wanted a different life than the one you had been leading is unconscionable.
No “religion” has the right to rip families apart. I look forward to the day when this is more than a statement.
This kind of stuff that Scientology does always seems to hot me the hardest. Every time I hear about Scientology ripping a family apart my heart breaks. I have read and watched so many things about disconnection in Scientology and I can never get over it. It’s so sad and discusting that Scientology is able to do this. Sending love to all the people who have lost a mother or mothers who have lost their children because of Scientology.
Thank you Mike for honoring the mothers today and highlighting their heartbreaking stories.
That scientology promotes Mother’s Day is like Charles Manson hosting Sharon Tate Day.
More appropriate and never going to happen is their promo piece for Disconnection Day. A day to read LRH policies on why we don’t call Mom today because we’re big thetans, and she’s just a meat body and not our real mom.
Inside Scientology, it does not celebrate or acknowledge Mother’s Day. They pay lip servto the outside world. Ask a staff member if they are aware what holiday it is, they won’t know. The same holds true for most holidays.
I honestly think this is one of the most heartbreaking things that Scientology can do. I remember watching Mary Kahns episode on the aftermath and being so heart broken for her and her family. I felt the same way after reading your book and learning that Scientology kept you from seeing your mother but also knowing Christie lost her mother through Scientology too is just hard to think about how a humanitarian “religion” can break families apart and get away with it.
Scientology is a real motherfucker.