Hypocrisy in scientology runs very deep.
It is almost axiomatic that if scientology claims something virtuous about itself, the opposite is true. They are masters at the art of pointing the finger at others to avert scrutiny of themselves. Just a short list:
They proclaim they are champions of free speech, while seeking by any means necessary to silence anyone who says things they don’t like.
They claim to be against hatred and bigotry while putting out a continuous stream of hate-filled utterances and offering a safe harbor and support for the likes of Tony Muhammad.
They announce they are the most ethical organization on earth, while driving people into bankruptcy with high pressure sales techniques and obtaining and maxing out credit cards for their marks.
They assert they are pro-marriage and families while practicing disconnection.
They say they are pro-gay and don’t discriminate against anyone while subscribing to core beliefs that are entirely homophobic — to the point of eradicating gays from society.
They pronounce they are not anti-Christian while teaching that Jesus is an implant in the reactive mind.
And now comes this:
After the usual stuff citing statistics around the world, they roll into what incredible work they do to counteract slavery in the world, based on the words of L. Ron Hubbard.
In 1969, Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard observed: “Very few governments have implemented any part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These governments have not grasped that their very survival depends utterly upon adopting such reforms and thus giving their peoples a cause, a civilization worth supporting, worth their patriotism.”
Universal Declaration of Human Rights article 4 states, “No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.”
But as Mr. Hubbard also pointed out, “Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream,” a statement borne out by these Antislavery in Domestic Legislation Database statistics.
Scientologists believe that raising awareness of human rights is the ultimate answer to this and other forms of abuse. They take part in educational initiatives to increase understanding of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They work to mandate human rights education in their nations’ schools. And they urge their governments to enact legislation to ensure the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have the force of law.
The Scientology Network features the work of human rights activists who have adopted these programs to end human trafficking and other abuse. Their work, and the inroads they have made, is demonstrated in episodes of the original TV series Voices for Humanity.
These include:
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- Mary Shuttleworth, who witnessed rampant human rights abuses growing up in apartheid South Africa. Committed to ending human trafficking and other violations of human rights, she founded Youth for Human Rights International to teach young people around the world the importance of human rights.
- Cynthia Guerra, who grew up in Guatemala during a civil war that was notorious for rampant human rights violations carried out by its military. An estimated 20 percent of Guatemalan children, some as young as seven, are subject to forced labor. To counter this and other human rights abuses, Guerra leads a nationwide program to educate civilians, police, and the military on human rights.
- Braulio Vargas, whose episode exposes a hidden side of Costa Rica with an eye-opening account of the problems plaguing many of its citizens — from human trafficking to homelessness. His work in promoting human rights is raising awareness across the nation.
- Raúl Arias, who came face to face with human rights violations when he and a friend were nearly abducted by kidnappers. Later, heartbroken by the stories of those who lost family members to human trafficking, he confronted the issue head-on by becoming executive director of Youth for Human Rights Mexico.
The Church of Scientology and its members sponsor one of the world’s broadest human rights education and public information initiatives, United for Human Rights, and its program for young people, Youth for Human Rights. Through this support, they ensure these educational materials are available free of charge to all.
What this ignores is the fact that scientology, especially the Sea Org is engaged in daily violations of human trafficking laws. That scientology Sea Org and staff are treated like slave labor while being designated as religious workers and volunteers to avoid labor laws.
The truth is that rather than sponsoring “one of the world’s broadest human rights education advocates public information initiatives,” it actually engages in daily, worldwide violations of human trafficking and labor laws, carried out in plain sight, shielded by the cloak of religion.
Scientology claimed it was a lie that they were being investigated by the FBI for human trafficking. When the summary report from the investigation was disclosed under the FOI laws, they then changed their tune and claimed it exonerated them as there was no prosecution.
Lack of prosecution of a case may have many causes, but it does not necessarily mean exoneration.
- Prosecutors may have evidence beyond the statute of limitations.
- They may think the facts are going to be too hard to prove beyond a reasonable doubt.
- There may be political influence.
- Budgetary concerns.
- Lack of resources.
- Fear.
Read the summary below — this is NOT an organization that has been exonerated.
And it is not an organization that changes.
This hits on the question that I just don’t understand after watching your shows a few times through… there are blatant infractions in regards to child protection and labor laws. The abuse of children and how it is allowed to stand is horrific and shocking. Anyone who watches the show I think finds themselves sifting through the enormity of what this “church” is and how it chooses to operate in the world thinking of how they can be stopped. What has occurred to me is that it doesn’t take an indictment of the entire system to find the chink in their armor. I think of the fact that Al Capone was brought down not for mob activity but for tax evasion and so it could be something similar for Scientology. Thinking along these lines, to me this organization is abusing children and I just don’t know how it is allowed to happen. How are American kids being put to work at young ages when there are laws that prohibit that? How can these children’s education be so neglected? How is it legal that parents can sign their kids over to an organization and essentially surrender their parental rights (not to CPS but to a business organization)? It shouldn’t matter that these things are being done in the name of religion, minors in this country are not legally able to give consent, so even in they are serving a religion, that shouldn’t outweigh the laws of our land that are in place to prevent the exploitation of children. When my husband and I watch these episodes we wonder what is stopping our government from acting???? Are there scientologists exerting some control is some way that I can’t understand? I have cried for the children of the Sea Org, those on your show and those whose names I will never know , and the abuses that have been heaped on them. It makes me physically sick to my stomach to know that there are kids who are trapped in the Sea Org, whether they recognize their prison or not. Keep up your work Mike Rinder. So many of us support you and are pulling for you.
How can you call Scientology modern day champions of free speech, fighters against hatred and bigotry, are pro-marriage and families, are pro-gay, not anti-Christian, for human rights and are against human trafficking?
The truth is completely the opposite as Mike Rinder, journalists and all former, current Sea org and Scientology members continue to point and speak out bravely.
When in fact Scientology is run singlehandedly by a tiny, uneducated, totalitarian dictator called Seaman recruit Dave Miscavige. You never really earned or achieved the title of Captain in the real world Navy. Such a failure. LOSER with a Capital L.
Seaman recruit Dave Miscavige has joined the likes of Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Zedong, Kim Jong Um and Putin. He is and has run Scientology like a Nazi concentration camp. Shame on you.
Yet he lives in luxury while all his minions and many underage children are abused daily, trafficked and slave away 14+ hours a day making nothing or a few pennies. Just to be bankrupted and put into debt all for the sake of Seaman recruit Dave Miscavige and Scientology’s growing tax exempt slush bank account.
What do you do all day except spy on Auditing sessions??
Sea org members and Scientologists are tricked into signing absurd billion year sign your life away irrevocable contracts thinking they are helping clear the planet.
Of what tiny Seaman recruit Dave Miscavige. It’s still polluted with you, all the empty, vacant and unused buildings, LRH teachings and the constantly shrinking Cult of Scientology.
Seaman recruit Dave Miscavige is the ringleader of Scientology an organization that engages in daily, worldwide violations of human trafficking, modern day slavery and labor laws, all carried out in plain sight and yet shielded under the cloak of religious exemption.
VOTE to REVOKE SCIENTOLOGY ‘S TAX EXEMPTION NOW.
You make it look all pretty, glamorous and utopian on the outside. Offer promises and dreams yet In fact there is a dark, evil and sinister side once inside Scientology.
This is considered Theft by deception.
This needs to be stopped now.
“That scientology Sea Org and staff are treated like slave labor while being designated as religious workers and volunteers to avoid labor laws.” -MR.
Aren’t workers supposed to be paid minimum wage?
How many are underage?
Are they qualified licensed contractors? No.
Have you pulled the necessary permits?
Are safety precautions taken?
Where is your wife Shelly? Is she still being held prisoner and being abused as a slave laborer at CST in Twin Peaks, Ca. Scientology’s not so secret base?
VOTE to REVOKE SCIENTOLOGY’S TAX EXEMPTION NOW.
Part One….
I agree that the Church of Scientology should be investigated by the IRS and have its tax exempt status revoked. I feel that the problem is that the IRS is afraid of Miscavige. They’re probably afraid that he’ll hit ’em with a tractor trailer full of lawsuits claiming religious discrimination. The agency is probably waiting for him to be somehow removed and then see who fills the vacuum before taking action.
It’s easy to find out where the bodies are buried. Anyone who works for or HAS worked for the IRS, Scientology can hire plenty of private investigators to dig up dirt on them. They may draw blanks OR they might find enough info on an IRS employee OR possibly someone who filed Income Tax & “somehow got around NOT paying their fair share.”
COS will always have that tax emempt…..the IRS does NOT want to deal with them or battle them in endless court proceedings when it is so much easier for the IRS to give in & shut them up so they go away. ANY threat to remove that status will be fought tooth & nail to never have it taken away….ever.
So many brave people stepped forward, so much evidence displayed & yet it goes on and one………too sad
I fell you’re right. Even if the dastardly dwarf were somehow removed some loyal Miscavigeist would step in and take power. The battle would just continue.
Very sad indeed. When I was recruited for the SO I was 18, 19 yrs old. Good pay, berthing, food and a chance to save the planet. I remember leaving my job and actually crying with a dear friend that I was going on this SCN adventure. Right there I could have saved my life and many years of hardship. If my friend had known a bit more about this cult I could’ve been spared decades of confusion. Even with interventions from family it still took me two decades to permanently get out. Thank you to Mike and Leah and all the youtubers and podcasters. It is easier than ever to get quickly informed and make a right decision to not get in or get out ASAP
Please support them and join Patreon if you can to help them all.
I will refrain commenting on this one. What I would write would not be very nice. This is the part of this cult I hate the most. Taking advantage of another human by the powers that be to pad their pockets and calling it religion.
This disgust me. It makes me sick.
Well said Mike.
And well said all who comment here with their own horror or heartbreaking story.
I just end with my own heartbreak at the hands of the church of scientology and my outrage that the powers that be in this country are nothing, are no where to be found. This church continues its daily cruelties. A pox on all your houses.
A well written piece Mike.
The really true fact about Scientology that explains the misery it creates is that they lie consistently and belligerently. It can be researched with great accuracy the management of Scientology and its wealthy expansion did indeed come from the intended corruption built into their policy system from the founder himself. How in the world could you claim to have the solutions of life’s problems and have so many well intentioned and caring people trusting to the “auspices” of Scientology only to then have their families ripped apart and themselves forced towards poverty with careers and hope for the future ultimately shattered if they remained within or beholding to the organisation. With the world imploding with greed and incredible mismanagement, governing by lies is indeed a well crafted, dark art. Scientology excels at it!
The most saddening aspect of life as I see it in the wake of being a Scientologist is my immediate family and their familial connections were caught up in a never ending cycle of disbelief, but are now too old to ever expect social recompense or ever hear the simple words, “I love you,” from the demeanor and out of the mouths of a dedicated Scientologist. Disconnection or the threat of it is an evil and vile thing. It’s a tool of the wicked!
Normally I would do one of my famous(or infamous) “Memos From Dave” on someone’s comment or as a stand alone but for today’s blog I am going to abstain. Having read the blog, I feel that a “memo” would not be appropriate. It is absolutely horrifying that the Church of Scientology publicly preaches that people have all sorts of rights and freedoms while at the same time denying these same freedoms to their members. It’s like a bookie operation where the book setup is in the back of the store and out front is a bake shop or some other legitimate entity. I’m sorry but that’s how I feel.
This is such bullshit.
My sister has lived at Int Base for more than 40 years. She is not well, emotionally or physically.
She has never had a phone. Phone calls are answered by “reception” – the phone used to be answered by Bronwyn but for a few years it has gone to voice mail, I assume that Bronwyn probably blew.
I have never been able to visit my sister. She has not joined us at holidays for at least 30 years. She was always too busy and could not get time off.
She disconnected form me in about 2004 after her husband escaped, and then reconnected a few years later. She disconnected again last fall, because OSA found out I comment (anonymously) on Mike’s blog and also on Tony Ortega’s blog.
F*ck you, $cientology, for imprisoning my sister and tearing apart our family.
This is not freedom.
I wish I could reach out to her for you.
Unfortunately she is a full blown Stepford wife just like my ex-wife who is also still there, probably sitting alongside your sister doing busy work removing specks of dust from old films of Hubbard (and shooting videos to destroy their SP husbands who seek to enslave mankind) — believing they are single-handedly saving the planet.
The delusion is great.
So too the number of families torn apart by scientology.
Thank you Mike, I know you would help if you could. Yes! She was indeed removing specks of dust from old tapes, to digitize them, a few years ago and for all I know, they are still doing that…
Yeah. My sister has also been at Int Base for the past 42 years. I’ve seen her a total of 3x since then. She is also most probably sitting next to your sister and Mike’s ex-wife. It is mind-blowing. She disconnected from me in 2015 when I was finally declared. But so has my whole family in South Africa and of course, one of my sons. Just disgusting.
Of all the mistreatment you and yours have received from that evil group, the prosecution of your son was to me the most heartless. I worked in the mental health field and was called to police situations when a person might be confused, oddly aggravated, or otherwise seemed to be off kilter. I recognized what the cherch called a hate crime as just a momentary expression of anger. I was so angry that they refused to let it go with an apology and maybe cleanup cost, and I could tell they were trying to punish your family just for spite. Scientologists seem to lose sight of their humanity over time and instead let the warped personality of DM order them around. Good luck – I wish you peace and happiness in all your endeavors.
I am so sorry Lois, yes I am sure they are all side by side. My sister has said she will never leave, and we sort of now believe her, unfortunately.
I’m very sorry for the effective loss of your sister. As a never-in my injuries from Scn involve some pulled muscles (trying to keep a straight face listening to some coworkers) and being scammed out of a big hunk of money by a super ethical ‘friend’.
A different coworker at a different company came to work one day completely dejected. We finally got him to talk at lunch and learned that his Mom is in Scn and he had been pushing her to step back so she could get out of debt, have a life and meet his new wife and child. His Mom was forced to disconnect and told him over the phone “I love you honey but I’m sorry, you’re evil and I can’t talk to you any more.” That was about 10 years ago and they haven’t spoken since.
Seriously F*** Scn and the crap they do to people and families.
That’s really messed up! Why in the hell does she want to disconnect from her son so that she can stay in a cult that is driving her into poverty? What is going through this woman’s mind. Dr. Phil talks about people getting ‘payoffs’ from bad behavior. Wonder what payoff she’s getting from Scientology that’s causing her to do this?
It is the height of over-the-top self-pride and self-confidence that, once again, we see that the Church of Scientology does not believe in the internet, except as a welcome vehicle to announce its own greatness again and again to an imagined and uniform adoring audience. This is such a weak spot for them to never imagine that there are credible sources with counter-narratives which are detailed, compelling, and accepted as fact. As Scientology is wont to say, “Truth is the exact consideration.”
And they are missing it here.
This purported C of S human rights campaign is one: there are simply too many credible, provable stories available in a variety of media, including non-fiction books, that spell out the stark realities. In practice, the Church of Scientology stands for and practices coercion, human trafficking, forced labor, poor wage and health conditions, including access to nutrition for its workers, trapping and trickery, financial chicanery of every sort, a history of forced abortions, individuals held against their will,* individuals who escape captured, brought back to be further held against their will, and related violations of human rights. I weep as I write this because it is so duplicitous.
*Ever try to get out of an Int’l Association of Scientologists fundraising event or interview? It is not uncommon for the door(s) to be locked or physically barred by staff or Sea Org members, until you give money, lots of it.
As scientology said ONE time:“Truth is the exact consideration.”
Never again.
Scientology’s idea of “human rights” is like that of most totalitarian regimes, disingenuously redefined to be limited to privileged groups considered more worthy, usually in a hierarchy where the leadership has full rights and levels below fewer, with those considered undeserving or outsiders effectively having no.
Hubbard was long known to his friends for disturbing fascist tendencies, and said things like that many of those he deemed unworthy, including not only criminals but those considered deviants like homosexuals under his ideology, “should not have, in any thinking society, any civil rights of any kind.” (note the disingenuous attempt to create a covert distinction between civil rights and human rights, justifying discrimination between the two)
The relious organization loophole that Scientology is exploiting needs to be closed off.
that would require repealing the first amendment in it entirety, which would create a whole ‘nother host of problems.
What needs to happen is the IRS needs to investigatd Scientology and see if there is any evidence of private inurement. Like I said earlier, I feel that the reason they won’t do this is because they are afraid of Miscavige hitting them with a ton of lawsuits.
One point the FBI report seems to miss is the role of snitching within the SO. They demand that members write Knowledge Reports (KRs) on anyone suspected of failing to strictly follow the Scientology line. Being written up in a KR is a serious fear factor that SO members live with every day. They have to ‘walk on eggshells’, like a family member in an abusive household, just to avoid having anything they say or do get reported by someone on a KR. In fact, it would not be unusual for one relationship partner to write a KR on their significant other, with predictable effects on their marriage or relationship.
The KRs are carefully read by senior members, and those whose behavior is deemed aberrant are brought in for a security check (sec check) which may go on for hours, until the subject is willing to confess to almost anything just to be able to leave the room and stop the harassment. Often, in the past, and possibly in the present, a SO member with what senior management determined to be a serious KR brought against them would be immediately sent off to an RPF somewhere, sometimes for months, sometimes for years.
Because the whole KR system is part and parcel of Scientology, it should be taken into account as a controlling factor which helps keep members imprisoned in a high control group. The first step to leaving a bad situation is often talking about it to a friend or other, but talking about leaving Scientology, or speaking of the negative behavior seen within the CoS, or being critical of the chairman of the board, will almost certainly result in a KR, followed by swift punishment.
Here’s some first hand facts. I produced the song “United”. That song put into Taron Lexton’s music video put Youth For Human Rights on the map with the UN and other NPOs.
Mostly written by my office manager, and staff at an adjoining recording studio. There was also a rapper from Florida who was friends with my staff. A Scientologist named Leslie Brown was the line producer for director director Taron, Mary Shuttleworths son. To start with they wanted to fly the rapper out from Florida to be in the music video. They wanted him to do it for free. I had to fight with Leslie to get her to pay even a per diem while he was out here.
None of the writers were Scientologist and Leslie ordered them around like they were her indentured slaves. I donated my studio for the production of the song. When as the producer I made certain musical suggestions to Taron that he did not like he cut his communication to me and when golden era productions, that now owned Mad Hatter studios heard what we had done they offered their facility and I and my writers were cut out of the loop.
And when the music video finally came out none of us got screen credit and on the DVD our credits we tucked way in the back of the credits, in tiny lettering. The way they treated the non-Scientology song writers who completely made the music video was disgusting.
When Scientology took over Youth For Human rights, I had the music video taken down from YouTube. I owned the rights to the master recording. I won’t forget the hypocrisy I experienced and my co-creators experienced.
Mike does not exaggerate about Scientology’s hypocrisy. I can testify to that.
Yep, and Stanley Clarke is still blathering on about scientology’s spiritual support and empowerment of artists, blah blah blah.
At all of the three orgs I was a member at, over roughly 15 years, they treated artists like shit. They’d quote Flubbard and talk about “the importance of the aesthetic wavelength” out of one side of their mouths, whilst refusing to pay for performances out of the other side. If you were lucky, you might have received a book or a “commendation”in return for services. I knew scientology musicians who flatly refused to play ANY church events and quoted Hublard’s policies about exchange to back off any aggressive ethics officers.
Hypocrisy is a key component of the scientology “philosophy” and its organizations and, hence, its most devoted adherents.
Glad that you got out! Play on👊🏽
Yes, it is possible to get a bit of exchange if they really want you for something that know that they will make money from. That’s very rare. Good for those musicians who refused to perform without being paid. Part of the brainwashing is that “we” should consider it a privilege to perform for a cult event. Of course Hubbard had his typical hypocrisy, “free service equals free fall”. Mr. Scam Bam Hubbard talked out of both sides of his mouth.
It’s a shame that the only one exempt from scientology precepts is the Tiny Twit™, hisself. He’s earned himself a whole lifetime in the RPF —at LEAST.
Hah! More like his next billion.
You know, I’ve often wondered if he really does believe that we live again and again. If he does – and I tend to believe that he does not – I don’t see HOW he can believe this and behave as he does but IF he does, my God how he must shudder if/when he contemplates all the overts and withholds for which he must take responsibility!
Not only the NUMBERS of them but the GRAVITY of them.
If on some level he does believe we live again and again, this could be the underlying cause of his drinking. What other reason could there be other than (by this time) addiction and habit.
Certainly he’s outrageously health conscious and knows what steady “social” drinking can do to a person. There’s no way he’s ignorant of the ramifications of hard liquor every nite (“every nite” according to what I’ve read).
So why else would he drink except to blot out the unconfrontable, the awful vista of his future lifetimes?
Then again perhaps he doesn’t believe in past lives or thetans grabbing new bodies at birth and living again and again AND being immortal so doesn’t care what he does to anyone because he’s going to die and it will be all over anyway.
Because according to Hubbard’s tech one cannot kill a thetan, the thetan the being who IS the person himself operating a mind which in turn operates the body – the thetan is immortal. And so if Miscavige believes this, truly believes this, how can he stand to contemplate his future lifetimes? Well, thanks for reading this questioning rant, people. I just like puzzles, I guess 🙂 And in certain ways Miscavige is a puzzle to me. Maybe there isn’t any of “him” – the actual being – left? And all that’s there now is a circuit? I keep revolving various possibilities.