Tony Ortega covered the recent openings of Salt Lake and “Silicon Valley” ideal orgs with some interesting on-the-ground reports from observers.
I have, as is my wont, a few observations of my own.
Salt Lake City:
This is the official photo on the scientology.org website. If you had the time or inclination, you could actually count the heads present.
My guess would be 350. (Update, a reader counted every head in this photo, the number is 242).
This is a big downstat in the scientology world.
And you know they flew in people from all over. Denver “ideal” org was press-ganging people to attend from their city. No doubt the same everywhere else.
Of course, the poor turnout was only one aspect of the fail. I joked about how they would get the “Playground In Charge from the Other Side of Town” to talk about how the WTH had reduced fights over the swings. Well, satire is verging on reality.
The all-star line up for this grand ribbon yanking included Taryn Dipo “of” Operation Underground Railroad (if you check their website, she is nowhere to be found, but Marisol Nichols is) out of Lehi Utah. What is so sad about this is that this organization works to help victims of human trafficking. She should be working to help the victims of scientology, not sucking up to them: “We first met members of your Church when testifying at Capitol Hill. We immediately collaborated on education efforts on behalf of freeing men, women and children from modern-day slavery. But if that’s not commitment enough, you’ve even put your own lives on the line, flanking our extraction operations to expose real-life traffickers. Yes, you educate, you empower and you most certainly liberate in the name of freedom.” She didn’t elaborate on how scientology has put their own lives on the line. Would love to hear those stories… Maybe this is in reference to Humanitarian Michael Roberts being on the road fundraising for months on end?
But the most bizarre moments were reserved for the Chairman of the Bored who spouted his usual Shermanspeak, topping the front porch of eternity with reference to the “Kingdom of Heaven on Earth” a rather strange reference coming from the head honcho of an organization that has an article of faith that heaven is an “implant”.
And I wonder how those mountains are rising? Perhaps some OT VIIIs are going to “postulate” it?
The best they could do to make all this sound grand was a shot of Dear Leader with a caption stating he was met with “thunderous applause.” Maybe they piped it in?
Where Spirituality Intersects With Human Brilliance: The New Church of Scientology Opens in Silicon Valley
In a special place where the brilliance of intellect was revered, 2,000 people gathered to celebrate the other defining dimension of humanity: the spirit.
What?
And the COB didn’t disappoint:
“Here, indeed, is where the ‘Digital Technology’ revolution can transform into a ‘Spiritual Technology’ evolution—and all in the name of human ingenuity, human brilliance and personal freedom.”
Huh?
But then they popped off with the biggest lie of all, reflecting the incessant parroting of their message of “unprecedented expansion.”
Another new Scientology Church, this one in Salt Lake City, was also inaugurated by Mr. Miscavige during the same weekend. It is the first time that Scientology has opened two new Churches back to back—testimony to the accelerating pace of Church openings and the growing worldwide expansion of the religion.
Pretty bold claim. Especially when the attendance at these events shows a dramatic decline in membership. And the FACT there has not been a NEW church of scientology opened ANYWHERE for a decade. No new ones in the United States for more than 2 decades. Maybe even 3? That’s their idea of the accelerating worldwide expansion?
The line-up of guest speakers for this yanking reflected that decline also. Back when Sacramento Ideal Org opened a few years ago they managed to lure the then Mayor to speak. When San Francisco opened they had the Mayor of San Francisco. For this opening all they could muster was an attorney “active in the Black American Political Association of California”, a cop who is a member of the California Narcotics Officers’ Association, an “advisor to the City of Fremont” and a reverend from the Christian Fellowship Ministry. Miscavige must have been fit to be tied over the failure to round up anyone of that would agree to share the stage with him. If he didn’t think he needed these people to try to pretend that this new building would be good for the community he would have long since abandoned this idea and just done it all himself — not sharing the spotlight with anyone.
The truth is, it is becoming harder and harder to apply lipstick to the pig that is the scientology organization. These pretty (and empty) buildings still fool some people, but more and more are wising up. They are seeing them for what they are. Stage props, just like a North Korean ski resort. They are intended to convince the world what a wonderful, flourishing and prospering organization this is. The curtain is falling away, the ugly truth is being laid bare.
PS: Dave — whatever happened to Erin Banks? She was the chosen one there for a while? She was the “MC” for these events and then conducted tours for preselected media. Another of the “disappeareds” — what did you do with her?
I was there… Yes unfortunately it was real!
Look at the Big Screens in the “photograph.” They show DM in a different pose than the obviously fake DM at the podium. And look at the rosette and ribbons. They look like stickers applied over a picture of a building. This entire picture has got to be CGI–and pretty amateur at that. I don’t think a single pixel of it is real. It looks like those architectural renderings of what a building will look like once completed.
This is my first comment. I’ve become an interested observer since finishing up season 2 of Aftermath.
I was there… Yes it was real unfortunately… But the applause are just a mask, a camouflage, because there´s many people unhappy in the organization. They are just afraid of Scientology and too fragile too fight back… I mean… to get justice!
David Miscavige and his “thunderous applause”… that is quite the Fantasyland where the little monkey Miscavige dwells.
On The Price is Right, there is a pathetic tuba and trumpet sound that is played when the contestant loses a game. (Google it if it is unfamiliar to you.) That is the soundtrack to David Miscavige and his bumbling efforts over the last few years.
Attendance at these openings may be falling, but Dan Sherman still has that magic! Man, nobody can pump out the purple prose like that guy.
Outdoor movie night draws a bigger crowd at my kid’s elementary school.
Those kids are smarter than any Scientologists.
Hmmm …. If you were to look closely at the photos you can see that these muppets ….. excuse me .. people have been arranged in a certain way to create the illusion that there are more people in the photo than are actually in the frame .
Look at the distance between the rows of muppets …. opps sorry .. people and you will see that there seems to be about 6 foot between them , this is called ” depth of field ” and is a commonly used technique in photography to create an illusion to the eyes of the viewer particularly from a slightly oblique angle which disguises the rows in which these muppets … bugger done it again …. people have been arranged .
Clever but doesn’t get past the sniff test for me , It stinks quite a bit actually and how do I know ? , Diploma in Professional Photography and studied under a Vogue photographer where I learnt my craft .
Try again Scamology and next time get the camera angle right to disguise the rows ( Depth of Field 101 ) .
Peterl, I’ve been staring at that last picture of Silicon Valley Org thinking I’m seeing some people in the audience appear to be elsewhere, but like the photo was taken from a different moment, so they don’t look exactly the same (same person but in another pose, in another seat).. or they shooped on a hat and sunglasses and changed the color of his jacket but the profile looks identical, as do the wrinkles in the jacket. I don’t know. Maybe I’m seeing things.. Maybe they have gotten better at shooping?
Well done dungeon master , I see that as well , what caught my attention was the distance between the rows as it looks like the first 6 rows from the back cover some 50 feet , there has definitely been some Photo Shop editing going on here .
they didn,t even try to conceal the fact that they used a very wide angle lens to make the crowd look bigger .
Have a look at the lower far right side of the shot and you will see the distortion of the people in the crowd which is very evident on the woman with long redish hair wearing a green jacket with a silver waist band , she is almost qasimoto like and everybody else around her looks like they are standing on the deck of a listing ship .
Great eyes though , a good pick up
I knew they used wide-angle lenses from previous articles. It’s SOP from what I’ve read. In older pics you would see how they’d flipped the ‘crowd’ to make the audience look larger. Balloons rising mirror image on the other side of the building. The same people easily identifiable in the crowd. Things like that. So they are apparently reading our ‘feedback’ and evolving their style. Putting lipstick on the pig, as it were. (No offense, trolls and lurkers. It’s an expression, not a literal comment.)
Thanks for the reply, Peterl!
Thanks dungeon master , the wife pointed out that my comment on the listing ship is very apt considering the current state of Scamology
For me that means that couple of weeks later my phone will be overheating from calls form the org to go “special event” and watch the movie about grand opening of this 2orgs.
Victor, have someone tell them that you died. You’ll never get another call.
Oh i will be happy to do it, but my mother in law and my brother are on the lines so i can’t play it unfortunately
Whoa! Didn’t know that, Victor. Hopefully they will see the light. Everyone here hope the best for you.
Cat vomit!
Dog vomit.
I live in a suburb right outside of SLC and have been waiting to hear who the Co$ ropes in to talk at this horrific opening. I looked up Taryn Dopin and found her on FB. I wonder if I should clue her in to the human trafficking happening inside Scientology. So sad that they were able to get anybody at all but I am happy it wasn’t the mayor!
I agree Lisa. I was disappointed to see that this cult that breaks up families was able to get speakers.
“Taryn” is a pretty name for a girl, I think, but “Dopin”…? I’d hate to have to make it thru life with a name like that…just saying.
If I recall correctly, it was commented on Ortega’s site that many of the attendees at SLC seemed to be from elsewhere, as freemindsfreehearts commented was the case here.
I’ve always figured that the official counts, includes those “attending” the event at remote locations where it’s being shown on screen – I remember the days when they used to do that via satellite link. Isn’t someone responsible, at least to COB Miscavige, for providing some justification for the attendance “stat” at his events, even if it has to be pumped up by dragging staff somewhere into a dark room with a video feed? Also, I see promo and letters pushing local members to “attend” events that have already occurred, via video showings, as if they’re accustomed to conflating in-person attendance and watching on a screen somewhere.
I hope the guest from the organization opposed to human trafficking, gets educated by someone about what Scientology is really up to – one of the issues those organizations should be addressing, in general, is the abuse of religious worker and related visas to provide trafficked labor for exploitative “churches” and their leaders.
And as I commented in response to freemindsfreehearts, might those attending from elsewhere, be starting to wonder what’s going on when they and others have to travel to events to bolster meager local attendance – and maybe don’t see fellow members and staff they know from years past, who they would expect to be in attendance at such an event?
Gee, now that Silicon Valley Org is IDEAL, I guess its just gonna be FLOODED with tech public so close by, and what with that NAME, and all. Wow,what genius marketing, I hope the staff are prepared; .wow, they’d better be ready for this huge influx of new people, its going to be a SIEGE…(facepalm).
Siege of Silence. Trampling through the doors of Solitude.
New promo for SV org: “Tired of your co-workers disrupting your coding? Need a quiet place to unwind and de-stress? Come to the new Silicon Valley Org. where you will not be disturbed.. by ANYONE.”
In Silicon Valley they have real science. In Idle Morgues they have make believe science.
“testimony to the accelerating pace of Church openings and the growing worldwide expansion of the religion.”
I would think that anyone at a COS that witnesses the handful, and/or handfuls of people there must surely question statements like this.
When can I expect to see the next season of you and Leah in Scientology and the aftermath on A&E? Looking very forward to it! Wish I can help you all in exposing this CULT! (sorry I had to ask under this article but I did not know where to post my question) 🙂
I don’t know that it really matters how many people attended either opening. It looks to be between 300 – 500. Considering they bused and flew in most of them, it’s neither important nor impressive. However, looking at the picture at the very top of the post and the separate picture of D. M., did anyone notice a discrepancy? In the group photo, the only trees anywhere near him are evergreen. In the individual pic, there are several bare trees that seem fairly close. Where did they come from?
I talked to someone who actually attended the opening of SLC. He said that they bussed in people from NV, CA, and Seattle. He estimated 500 tops attended, and that includes all the bussed in people. And no tours inside the building as they weren’t ready and were still moving in.
I’m a never in, but didn’t Elron say if CoS ever started building unneeded buildings that he wanted some of the old hippies to blow them up? Why is DM going against “source”?
Ah, Kati, you just don’t get it! In this day and age, the Dwarfenfuhrer IS source!
Well, at least that’s what he wants people to think.
He’s source alright. He’s the source for the RPF, forced abortions & disconnections. Oh yes…he’s source alright.
Spelt sauce… don’t you mean?
Once again I stand corrected.
Alcoboy, El Con ALSO wrote that if a person names himself or any other senior church exec as an SP (a person who is squirreling is included in this) the person naming the exec was to be declared PTS Type 2..
Neat huh?
How convenient! Gotta love those arbitraries inserted to prevent any embarrassment the correct application of tech might cause while “Keeping Scientology Working” !
Psychotic comes to mind.
Kati, that’s an astute question for a Never In, so thank you. Miscavige is TOTALLY “off – Source” with his Ideal Org program. Theories abound as to his reasons for it but I’d go with Mike Rinder’s detailed explanation if I were you. I believe you can just click onto what he wrote on Ideal Orgs if you go to the top of the blog. TOTALLY off source, Kati, and its a principal reason many of us left. Glad to have you here.
Regarding the bizarre “Kingdom of Heaven on Earth” reference – it sounds to me that Dave is just doing what he always does – bending his words around to be what he thinks people want to hear. So at his grand ribbon yanking in Salt Lake City, a place renown for it’s particular religious affiliations, I think he chose his words very specifically in a lame attempt to win over the people of Salt Lake City…. Just like he habitually feeds lies to the scn public several times a year…. I wonder when his lying mind will implode and he will no longer be able to uphold the pretence of ‘being a scientologist’ any longer….?
‘Lame attempt ‘ is an understatement!
Trying to get the Utah Mormons to cozy up to Scientology is a vain attempt.
In their eyes, David Miscavige is an apostate from another religion!
More like an apostate from another planet. I can’t wait until Corn on the COB reunites with that fraud on Target 2.
“…bending his words around to be what he thinks people want to hear.”
Or to use the modern term, “Alternative Facts”.
Its always smart to have some alternative facts handy for those times when truth is inconvenient or embarrassing. Which is pretty much all of the time in the Cult of Scientology!
Someone should clue in the rep from Black Political Association as to what LRH had to say about blacks!!
Where’s SHELLY?! She’s been disappeared longer than Erin, I believe.
I doubt she’ll ever be released.
The humility is too great. When you fuck up, the strong of mind look at themselves and work out solutions so they have options. The caught don’t have options. Well… Do they?
Geezers, what idiot thinks life is fair?
Barring being allowed to divorce Him and go free, best case scenario for Shelly Miscavige is that she’s in decent health and spirits, tending to her titanium plates and breathing her daily prayer of thanks that she’s no longer trailing after DM on his daily rounds with a box of Band-Aids and a bottle of Mercurochrome at the ready.
We have a whole new generations of millenials and the next generation who live on the internet. Scientology cannot exist in a virtual reality as Miscavige must put up sterile buildings full of uniformed mannequins who are pretty repulsive to young people and young adults.
I always think of the movie Zardoz with Shaun Connery and the facility where the people who were aging were hid away. They had the technology to keep people young, up to a point. The die hard aging clams compromise a lot of the members left. They are too set in their ways to change now.
Sad and sick.
Talk about a bubble universe! I love the movie, none of my friends/family can stand watching it.
We can watch it together. When it came out I really liked it. Perfect Scientology allegory. Cult lawyers and PIs are the Brutals and do the killing for the Eternals.
Another small but not insignificant detail: The MV cop is listed as “retired.” Of course, this is not an observation meant to demean his past service. But a retired person speaks for no one but themselves (or occasionally, maybe for an insidious cult if they are not careful).
Given all the social betterment programs they are claiming, it is telling that they couldn’t find even one current member of law enforcement, prison system, relief organizations or drug rehab industry who would—speaking for themselves, let alone their organization—welcome them to the community. In a metro area of about 7 million where the “church” has had a presence for decades THAT is an almost impossible feat; a true demonstration of OT powers.
More empty buildings to brag about. When will low membership effect his bottom line? Has anyone ever reached out to the “whales” to educate them on their ” church”?
Signed Frustrated at the Maniacal
PS soon the COB will have to yank alone
LOL! The lone yanker. Riding into the sunset on his Shetland pony.
The lone yanker-in-Chief.
Yanker…rhymes with what?
Ummm…banker?
Wanker?
You guessed right; congrats.
Yaaay!!! I had a feeling that one was on the mark.
On Shetland pony, the mental pic of that! I did lol!!?
Yank…….what?
Let your mind run wild, Alcoboy. Then you’ll get your answer.
With regards to the Dwarfenfuhrer, that’s something I’d rather not think about, OSD. The stuff of nightmares.
I MEANT ribbon yanking of course?
Oh, man! That’s not fun!
You have to be careful with this bunch, Kym.
??lol!
Don’t worry, Kym. You’ll get used to us. We’re an aquared taste.
I’m surprised they continue these “openings” since they have so few attending. Instead they should do mini documentaries that show the org in action (with hired actors of course) DM could film an intro explaining the public was banging down the doors to open and he decided to focus on getting them up the bridge instead of grand opening events, make it sound like he is doing them a favor. The docs could be used just like the films of events are PLUS they would have a steady stream of shows for SUMP if it ever gets going.
They would still buy/renovate spaces for tax purposes but they wouldn’t have the embarrassment of these pathetic openings. Of course we would know its just more CO$ bullshit and it would be fun to catch them in the act of hiring actors and filming the documentaries!
Scientology has been known to use Photoshop to “inflate” crowd size at these gatherings.
By any objective measure, their metrics are vastly inflated; lacking in credibility – perhaps a reflection of their diminutive tyrant’s need to overcompensate. Just speculating, of course.
As a Disney artist I can tell you that they have probably added people to both side of the CA ideal org opening. The lens distortion does not mach and some people look glued in esp. on the right. Also, the TV screens are faked (probably because they don’t show up well in photos) with David Miscavige’s body in different positions on the monitors vs. him on stage.
Wow! I looked at the Silicon Valley photo again, blew it up as much as I could, and squinting, I saw that you’re absolutely right! His arms are in different positions on the stage and the two monitors. I’m no expert, but if they’re faking this, what else are they faking here? Good catch, AGP.
In the old Soviet Union, people would get airbrushed out of photos when they fell from grace. Scientology, on the other hand, airbrushes people in. Interesting.
“…if they’re faking this, what else are they faking here?”
That concept, applied to a VERY BIG lie I was told by staff, something I did not question in the least at the time, but that I accidentally found out quickly afterward was not the truth (and this discovery did NOT come via the internet, but quite accidentally, during the normal course of my own business dealings), that concept that you just illustrated was what started me pulling threads, which in turn got me on the internet, which in turn got me out of the cult.
For me, it was, “If they’re lying to me about THIS, what ELSE are they lying about? What else HAVE they been lying to me about, all along?”
Sounds like nothing, actually, compared with the abuse and suffering and injustice sustained by others who left, and realistically it in no way compares.
But for me, it was a shock: “They lied to me about this. They LIED!” I had to grapple with this for a while. I found it shocking! Yes, I WAS that naive! And, yes, they got money out of me with that lie, but actually not that much. It wasn’t the money, it was that they had lied to get it.
But then, there’s that old saying, “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me”.
After settling it in my mind that that had happened, my curiosity was piqued. I wasn’t even angry.
I was really curious. Hmmmm…. “Let the thread-pulling begin”. Which is something I know how to do. Data Series plus, I read a lot of detective fiction 🙂
So, cult, the money you got out of me, for that stupid lie – hope it was worth it! Now go back to your gossiping and backbiting about all the people who aren’t in the org anymore, and enjoy yourselves. I’m guessing you don’t have much else to do.
The cult airbrushed out his second wife, Sarah. The setting was on a boat.
They also painted out his Gay son, Quentin, in videos they show at his birthday bash
Wow. Good riddance to the cult, Quentin. I’ve read that you loved planes, always wanted to fly, and its all you ever wanted to do. If its true that we live again and again, I hope you’re somewhere fulfilling your purpose, flying high and free and happy somewhere.
My A=A=A took over me when I read the above and “his Excellence” speak of Mountains and height in feet and his haircut. Full restimulation ..Help! Currently reading a book about Nikolai Ivanovich Yezhov, nickname ‘The Poison Dwarf’ or ‘The Bloody Dwarf, length, 152 cm ~5 feet and his haircut, and resemblance of each other in the picture here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolai_Yezhov.
It´s perhaps like David Wilcox resemblance of Edgar Cayce…
Hopefully I will clear this up soon;-)
Thanks Mike. I was at Silicon Valley’s opening, and – I wish I were better at counting crowds – I think there were 150-200 chairs, and I think about 300 people maximum standing, so my guess is 450-500 people. I kept trying to count over and over, but it isn’t that easy. This count includes 50-75 in valet outfits, all standing, SO obviously … And I overheard 4 people discussing the other openings they had attended, including SLC. So I think a fair number show up at multiple places. I don’t know if they need to pay their own way.
Thanks for the recon report. Do you think those attending from elsewhere, might be starting to wonder what’s going on when they and others have to travel to events to bolster meager local attendance – and maybe don’t see fellow members and staff they know from years past, who they would expect to be in attendance at such an event?
Yes Peacemaker, I would think that the attendees who go from one to the next would eventually figure it out. They are a bit more in the real world than if they are just stuck in a single org.
Mike,
What do you think will happen after Shitscavige finishes recycling all the existing Morgues? What next?
Not to beat a dead horse but I really think part of that photo is shopped. If you enlarge it and look on the left side there are several people with suspiciously flat heads. Also there is a terrifying creature right on the edge of the photo, left side, near the bottom, just above the man with the brown hair and glasses. WTH?
I suspect some of the whales are getting restive. Why else go to all the trouble of back-to-back ‘Grand Openings’ just so the tiny tyrant can have a couple more boasting-videos at the LRH birthday event? https://www.flickr.com/photos/marksshoops/25575479307/in/dateposted-public/
Love your work!
Thank-you 🙂
I don’t know who are but I love work too.
It seems like so much of Scientology’s methodology (along with cult status) seems just really corny and outdated. People seem more shrewd these days. Even the fact that they tout big (aging) stars like Cruise and Travolta; They would not be a blip on my kids’ radar. So this prompts two questions: 1. How educated are the Sea Org members? If they are recruited as teens and don’t go to high school, how sophisticated can their critical thinking skills be? If all of their thinking is ordered by Scientology, they don’t have much hope of reaching a very broad audience these days. And this leads to my next question, 2. With all the devious and underhanded methods employed, how technologically current are the Sea Org members? If they are not allowed to use the Internet, don’t they still use it for all the nefarious things going on behind the scenes? Are they kept in the dark ages of technology?
That’s because they’re firmly entrenched in the early 50s.
Same problem with all home schooling and church schooling. The broad exchange of ideas and viewpoints is missing, and the children’s ability to think, much less critical thinking, is just zero. Public schools have their downside, but are a better alternative, IMO.
The 2nd & 3rd generation Scientology kids are plunked into extremely expensive private cult schools from pre-K thru 8th grade. Cult families with the money send their teens to the various Delphis. If they can’t afford that the kids get home schooled or they grit it out in public school until they’re 16 at which point they usually want to drop out because they’ve been steeped in cult nonsense that education is a waste of time. The parents permit them to drop out and go on staff or into the Sea Org. All the young teen and 20-something staffers at Scientology orgs are 2nd or 3rd generation – mostly 2nd generation. They know nothing, having been steeped in the cult since infancy. Total bubble dwellers. Ignorant, impressionable, fanatic. The cult is all they know, its their identity, its everything real, whereas family life is not real, its an illusion. That’s why they can turn their backs on their parents so callously, so cruelly. Parents, brothers, sisters, spouses, lovers, friends – none of these relationships are reak, That they are thetans, immortal beings, who have lived countless lifetimes and who will continue to live countless lifetimes with a new body and new parents each lifetime, that is what they believe. Their current parents, family, friends, etc., are incidental to this lifetime and expendable. That is what they are taught, from the time they’re born, in Scientology. The cult has enormous leverage over Scientologists with children because of this conditioning.
Well, Aqua, when Scientology collapses, we can only hope that the GED program can help these poor souls. In this day and age, you just cannot get through life being a school dropout. You need a high school diploma at bare minimum. It really bothers me that Scientologists would look at education in this manner. I’m glad I finished school before I got involved with this mess.
Agreed, Alcoboy. There is a great deal of help out there in America for people who need it and reach for it. For the most part, I’d say, having lived outside of the US in various places, I’d say that Americans as a group are caring, generous, understanding and forgiving people. Not sure how, but I have faith in the open handedness and willingness to help of Americans in general, and that, if the plight of these ex-SO were widely known there would be a big hue and cry in America to help them, rehab them, get them back on their feet. What is going on in this day and age right here in the USA as regards Co$’s human rights abuses will be very shocking news to most Americans. When the media we “love to hate” that hungry media currently dogging DJT, that gleeful media who crucified Nixon and never let up on the the Clintons for decades, when that media get Miscavige on the hot seat, that’s when the fun will begin and that’s when the cult will officially die, and that’s when we’ll be making our travel arrangements to converge on Huntington Beach – right, OSD? Are you still down with being our host for the Celebration of the Century?
If you are only permitted to see one side of the coin, you can’t achieve critical thinking because you have never been exposed to the other side of the coin to make comparisons. If all you’ve heard is how horrifically mean, nasty, aggressive & full of lies the other side is, you’d fear it with a passion…especially if that caused you the loss of your eternity.
If you need to go somewhere & someone always has to accompany you (as in the Duggar’s Accountability Partner where they have to take a sibling along wherever they go)….the “minders” who accompany you are there to keep YOU from running off, escaping, blowing. It’s mind & body control at it’s best.
Children having access to those on the “outside” will see, hear & witness events that those on the inside would deny them access to at all costs. Being given access would cause them to question if what they are being taught is true…..or not. Critical Thinking at it’s best is being able to make comparisons between different sides of the coins.
I was going to say 300 present at Salt Lake City and thought it was on the high side. Mike, your estimate of 350 is REALLY generous IMO, though I’m not great at estimating crowds. In any case, a pathetically small number by past standards.
That’s because of their shrinkage. And, of course, no one new is walking through their doors.
Whoever takes these pictures, I might suggest you backup from the crowd to show where it ends….CoS would just say the “thousands” are standing behind you, that you are trying to make it look small …WE know that’s not true, but maybe take two….one that shows the actual end of the ginormous crowd….
lol. Keep up the great work folks!
That poor beleaguered pig. He deserves so much better than to be continually dragged out with new lipstick. I do hope he too escapes someday. ?
Maybe we could raid the Int base, find him and then….RUN!
Careful going over that razor sharp security fence! Remember, most of the spikes are facing inward!
This is the only religion who forces people to stay with spikes! SPIKES!
Well, not to offend the intellect of the members of this blog but, maybe we can not totally understand these bombastic terms of mountains of brilliance expansion colliding with digital and spiritual technology for the simple reason that……yes, you got it.
We have not done for the 5th time the New super new and re-released Student Hat!
Don’t they have to do the Student Hat 5 times to pass?
Sigh. Like you said, “…lipstick on a pig.”
I watched the FLDS show last week on A&E and toward the end, after the raid, after the exposure of Jeff’s as a pedophile, showing the continued existence of the compound, an ex FLDS members spoke about the need for some to be given the rules to live by, to have their lives dictated for them, etc. That, I think, is a good explanation for most of the remaining few left in this church.
I think that statement is an insult to pigs AND to lipstick.
🙂 Roger.
I would agree with that, Roger.
FLDS is NOT a church! It’s a rape center.
This Mormon says amen to that!
Agreed, Mary Kahn. I do think there are people who are cult – prone, and even if not in a cult, would need to have their every move dictated by somebody, whether a spouse or partner or parent or their own children. I’ve observed that some people LIKE being helicoptered over and micro-managed and their activities mostly ordered by some “other”, although almost always they’ll say they DON’T like it. Some people just feel comfortable being closely controlled. I have a theory – this is just me, but I think that such people equate very close control with being cared for, loved. Giving over one’s life also has the added benefit to the person of obviating the necessity to make decisions.
“the “Kingdom of Heaven on Earth” a rather strange reference coming from the head honcho of an organization that has an article of faith that heaven is an “implant”
That was a Freudian slip. He DOES know that scamology is nothing but an implant – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Implant_(Scientology) – happening on Earth right now.