Today marks 37 years since the death of L. Ron Hubbard -- founder of scientology, "Source" to his followers, compulsive storyteller and master conman. I want to take a moment today to recommend Russell Miller's wonderful, detailed, enlightening unauthorized biography Bare-Faced Messiah: The True Story of L. Ron Hubbard. Miller's book opened my eyes to so much about Hubbard as he connected dots and answered many questions. The diligent research and detail in his account is remarkable, sifting through the endless stories and lies told by Hubbard about his life and accomplishments to … [Read more...]
The Bait and Switch of Scientology Promises
You may have read the recent post about Hubbard's claims for cures of virtually all disease and illness through auditing. And his condescending view of the medical profession. One would think scientology would have the conviction of the words of their Founder and Source -- they are expected to abide by them without question or alteration. Yet, everyone who participates in scientology is required to sign several releases, one of which is the Religious Services Enrollment Application, Agreement and General Release (this is the infamous document that has been used to force "Religious … [Read more...]
Happy Birthday Shelly Miscavige
Today is Shelly Miscavige's 62nd birthday. She has been disappeared for the last 15 years -- one confirmed sighting at her father's funeral (with a handler) in 2007 and nothing certain since. Once a fixture of the scientology world, at her husband's side virtually everywhere he went, she suddenly vanished in 2005. I write about her and her vanishing from the Int Base in my book A Billion Years. Shelly is not the only person at the senior echelons of scientology who has been erased from public view (so too the President of scientology Heber Jentzsch, Executive Director International … [Read more...]
The Volcano Mystery
I got this promo piece recently. The volcano Popocatepetl is near Puebla and is the city's most famous landmark. It got me thinking about Hubbard's list of volcanoes that are part of his OT III story. Not a one in Mexico. Why? Mexico apparently wasn't in his thoughts at the time he concocted his OT III story. And how is it that he was so geographically challenged? His spelling is terrible, but "Kolomonjero" is a LONG way from the Atlantic. There are no volcanoes in the Eastern part of Canada, they are all on the Pacific side of the country, Tangier is not a … [Read more...]
Flag Christmas J&D Sing Along
Christi Gordon sent me copies of these pages which were created at Flag, Christmas 1976. They are the lyrics for a musical performance that was part of the annual Bosun's party (I wrote about the infamous first Bosun's Party at Flag in 1975 in my book). The lyrics would be considered horrendous "J&D" now -- Hubbard had not yet invented that term which was announced in his Bulletin Jokers and Degraders in February 1977 (maybe he got a report about this performance?). Some of the notable lines: No need to panic, it's just another bomb threat The citizens of Clearwater … [Read more...]
The End of The World is Nigh
This is one of those Hubbard statements that is used by registrars and fundraisers to convince people they must hand over their money now. And of course, as you can see, to persuade people to join staff. This is something a lot of cults do -- predict the end of the world to impress upon their followers the urgency of their mission. That Hubbard said this in 1965, announcing just 5 years left to get the job done, is ignored by the sheeple. If Hubbard said it, it must be true. The fact that he was proven SO wrong in his prediction is immaterial. His words are immortal, immutable and a … [Read more...]
“Successful Selling” by L. Ron Hubbard
Hubbard had a lot of his special wisdom to impart about the skills of selling. Scientology objects to the idea that it should be characterized as a business. Not because they are not proud of Hubbard's "administrative technology" which is the ONLY way for any business to succeed (somehow Amazon, Apple and Walmart have muddle their way to success), but because being a business is not compatible with being "religious" and thus the label threatens their tax exempt status. Scientology "administrative technology" is full of Hubbard talking about "prospects," "sales," "commissions" and … [Read more...]
L. Ron Hubbard on Medicine, Doctors and Cures
L. Ron Hubbard had a very jaundiced view of the medical profession and healing of disease and illness. He announced to the world that he had discovered the real causes and cures for virtually everything with Dianetics and proceeded to expand on his assertions from there all the way through the years in scientology and ultimately with the "New Era Dianetics for OT's." Never one to understate his accomplishments, Hubbard made numerous false claims about his "research" and "discoveries" which still form the "technology" of scientology used today. He proclaimed himself to have … [Read more...]
A Billion Years for Christmas and Kirstie Alley’s Death
My thanks to Gallery Books for this ad in the New York Times Book Review this week. A book is an excellent gift for Christmas! Especially A Billion Years... Please keep that in mind as you do your holiday shopping for friends and family. Kirstie Alley The passing of Kirstie was announced late last night by her children. A dedicated scientologist to the end, she did her best to smear me and Leah as all good scientologists do. But despite that, I have fond memories of Kirstie. She has never been anything but over-the-top outrageous and very funny. The only mention I make of … [Read more...]
L. Ron Hubbard on the Christianity “Cult”
Here is another quote from L. Ron Hubbard expressing thoughts about Christianity: “It’s an interesting thing that there exists on Earth a cult which believes a hundred percent that it has the only god there is in this universe. And this is quite an interesting thing. See, this is terribly interesting. Anybody who says he has a total monopoly on all there is of something, which you can’t weigh, see or measure, is suspect. Christianity’s gain in the world and its departure from its own announced principles were in the main in the direction of control…It is not even a major group today in Europea … [Read more...]