Scientology plays an interesting game of taking credit for anything good AND bad in a person’s life.
For anything good, it’s BECAUSE the person is a good scientologist “applying the tech” and for anything bad it’s because the person is NOT a good scientologist and is not applying the tech and thus they are suffering their “just rewards.”
This “win/win” takes many forms and is a practiced art of the scientologist.
If you are doing well in life and have plenty of money you are not only lauded for your “humanitarian contributions”, you are expected to make sure that everyone knows it is BECAUSE of your application of scientology — even to the extent of “flowing money to the IAS causes more inflow of money.” On the other hand, if you, even as a long time practicing scientologist who has read every book, attended every event, redone your Student Hat 4 times, Purif 3 times and Objectives twice, are without funds there is only one explanation. You are NOT applying scientology correctly in order to make more money. After all, according to L. Ron Hubbard, scientology has the answers to ALL OF LIFE.
Of course, this approach also bleeds into scientology’s public relations efforts too.
Miscavige and the church revel in taking credit for Narconon “salvaging the world from drugs” and running the “most effective drug rehab pgm on earth thanks to LRH tech” — until there is a flap. When someone dies on the program suddenly it has nothing to do with the “tech” (other than it was “not applied standardly”) and COB and the church suddenly have NOTHING to do with Narconon.
But perhaps the most bizarre application of their double-standard insanity is seen with people who leave scientology.
All Sea Org members are told that if they leave the SO they will “fail” in the “wog world” — they will be “flipping burgers at McDonalds for the rest of your life.” (Only in the eyes of Miscavige is gainful employment something to be sneered at).
In their world, everyone who chooses not to follow the dictates of scientology is a “failure” – I know they reveled in the fact that I was a “used-car salesman” when I left the SO. I got a job at a Toyota dealership as car sales is a meritocracy — they don’t care your educational background or job experience, they only care if you can sell cars. If you can’t, you don’t survive and they lose nothing for having you there. Scientology loves to demean what anyone does as being so much less important than everything any Sea Org member does. Earning a living is something to be looked down upon as a “failure.” Miscavige tells those around him that everyone who has left the Sea Org “desperately wants to come back.” What a joke.
But this tactic reaches absurd levels when it comes to celebrities.
Scientology loves to take credit for celebrities success. They put them on the cover of Celebrity magazine and bow down to them at their big events. The celebrities hand over a lot of cash and are in turn are treated like royalty. But when a celebrity leaves the fold, they are invariably (and instantly) “failed actors” or “failed writers” or just “failures.” Jason Beghe was a “washed up actor who couldn’t get a role.” Paul Haggis is a “failed screenwriter.” Leah Remini “had a sitcom once and hasn’t had a job since.” And what is even sadder — they WANT this to be true. They wish people who leave will fail as it will prove them right and they will gloat in their rightness.
But of course they ignore the huge failures that are stinking up the lobby at CC: Jenna Elfman has not been able to hold a job since Dharma and Greg. Kirstie Alley defines washed-up. Anne Archer hasn’t had a role in a decade (or two). Even the mighty Tom Cruise has had two box office bombs in a row. Danny Masterson has done nothing since the 70’s. Juliette Lewis might even be longer. Catherine Bell? Marisol Nicholls? The only one who has had consistent work and success is Bart Simpson. Why aren’t all these other people having successful careers? Why isn’t the scientology magic working for them? For heaven’s sake, it’s the Golden Age of Tech times 2.
And what about Jason, Paul and Leah? They are all flourishing. Jason has a massive NW TV hit that he stars on. Paul is constantly writing and does more real humanitarian work than all of scientology combined. And Leah — leaving scientology has seen her with a NYT #1 bestseller, an Emmy, the leading docuseries on TV and co-starring again in a prime time sitcom. Can you imagine if one of the scientologists had this sort of career success?
Perhaps ESCAPING scientology is the best career boost and guarantee of success.
There is plenty of evidence to support this idea.
Scientology continues to operate on the principle “never defend, always attack” — even though they are like cornered rats and will ultimately be wiped out entirely because they are such menacing, antagonistic and rabid vermin. They cannot change because it’s all laid out in their own policy.
For more information about this, read this article: Dealing with Critics of Scientology – The L. Ron Hubbard Playbook
All Sea Org members are told that if they leave the SO they will “fail” … making minimum wage is more than what a Sea org member makes in a lifetime
I have, for the past couple of weeks been reading the scientology web sites critical of Leah’s show and all the people who appear on it (I have to read the blog in “spirts” because it is so full of fecal matter and it’s just the “same old same old”). They seem to really have a bullet up their caboose over you (Mike).
To tell the truth, it has taken me a lot more than several weeks in order to read all of their articles and all of their associated connecting articles. True to form, they have attacked the individuals and their character and not the facts that the individuals spoke of in Leah’s show.
It has been an eye opener to have to wade thru the sewage that is contained in their attack web sites.
I have also followed on Tony’s web site Mr. Haggis response to Marty Rathbuns attack. Had to take my time because I wasn’t too sure of all the players in that one but I listened to Rathbun’s POW video and it really didn’t make too much sense other then him trying to take credit for Mr. Haggis leaving scientology.
The real eye opener for me this season has been this blogs excellent dissection of how scientology attacks, never defends, and the idea that if you criticize scientolgy you have committed crimes in your past, “every time”, as per lrh
With that understanding and other explanations from this blog and Tony’s I was actually able to apply the scientology “tech” to the attack of all of the players and people in last and this years shows. Puts a whole new light on it.
I am looking forward to some sort of search for “cob’s” wife again, only this time I would love to see some real LAPD detectives do their job and have photo’s to show as proof that Shelly (I think that’s her name and how you spell it) is really alive and see if she really wants out. To actually find out if she wants out, she would have to be removed from her current location and questioned without her “minders” present. How LAPD pulls that off is going to be interesting if it is ever done again. (LAPD doesn’t seem to have its fecal matter together because of the unresolved conversations they had with you first two women on the show this year)
I look forward also to see how any legal moves that you two have mentioned on the show are being made against scientology.
You asked for my thoughts on the past episodes and I hope this gives you some idea of the impact your show is having on a “never in”. It’s really mind boggling!!!
Wow just wow. Back to you never in … Its just as mind boggling to me getting on after 40 years.
The blame game works on a personal level too. It gets internalized and really messes you up.
The average Scientologist has a very large “sunk cost” in it. Maybe he has spent a lot of money, Maybe he has a family member that is in and can’t consider leaving because of the consequences. Maybe he works for other Scientologists and would lose his job. Or the truly lost souls are working for it full time and are convinced that they couldn’t make it in the real world.
Whatever the situation, it becomes really important that Scientology is working.
If it isn’t working, the cost of supporting it is wasted, so it has to work. It works or you somehow have to explain to yourself that you went bankrupt and lost your chance to say goodbye to your dying mom for a mess of pottage.
So anything good that happens is immediately assigned to Scientology. Found a parking space, my “postulates are really sticking” (Scientology slang for saying your strong wishes are magically coming true). Got a job, it must have been my amazing Scientology communications skills that wowed the boss.
They call this “confirmation bias”. Instead of assigning proper cause for something, allowing for random good fortune, the cause is always assigned to Scientology.
If anything bad happens, there can be no such thing as bad luck. No, bad outcomes mean you are doing it wrong. You have sinned, or know somebody who doesn’t like Scientology and is affecting you, or you misunderstood some part of Scientology and screwed it up.
A life like this, where your attention is constantly forced inward, where every slightest event has deep dark significances, makes for a very convoluted and introverted existence. Not just your own navel gazing, others are quick to point out your sins if you stray.
Small wonder that so many long term dedicated Scientologists are ill, broke and failing. It just isn’t good for you.
Great comment, Bruce Ploetz, on great article, Mike Rinder.
Thank you Bruce
I believe Kirstie, Juliette, and Danny D. Punch have a LOT of anger, and I suspect it’s because of the cult. Or getting old in a youth oriented industry. Juliette has her music for an outlet. Such as it is. I watch her videos sometimes. I don’t like the music, but I’m stunned by her performances. Very evocative.
I don’t know what Kirstie does for her anger, and I’m not gonna bash her.
D Punch? I can’t think about it.
Its not hard to figure out what Kirstie does for her anger.
And I have no problem bashing her.
lol…me too
Hey!, I’m eating pasta right now. (But I’m only having 1 plate).
I bash her not for her weight but because she’s obsessed with it and palms herself off an an actor and an entertainer talking about iher weight and little else non stop. So she got fat, so what? Who cares? She started out hot and coke addicted, kicked coke and began eating.and got fat. So? If she had any real talent, who would care? Elizabeth Taylor got very heavy and didn’t give a damn. Look at Shelley Winters. She got very heavy in her later years. But she was always an amazing actress who could do comedy, drama, she could be sexy, she could be a plain Jane, she could make you laugh, cry…very talented, plus she could write, plus she was an amusing guest on talk shows, always full of stories…an interesting woman, very real, down to earth, but a lady. Rosemary Clooney got enormous when she aged and she wasn’t witty but she was so warm and real and she had that voice so who cared? She retired and was a wife and mother and a grandmother. Yet very much herself. I saw her sing in person at a club, the audience adored her. Talent. No one cared that she was extremely heavy. You had to love her, up there. Ok, I’ll stop.
I suppose it is childish of me, but I love seeing the failure of L Ron Hubbard’s useless tech manifesting in all the washed up celebrities who proclaim themselves to be practicing scientologists.
From Cruise to Elfman, Travolta to Bart, ask yourself this one simple question… is this person’s career on the rise, or is it waning? If all they can hang their hat on is the actress on Handmaid’s Tale, well ask Margaret Atwood what she thinks of scientology.
The game is over and the jig is up. Scientology is dead, and I for one am happy to p*** on its grave.
If the Scientology brand depends on its celebs star power, then I agree with you. Though as you say, Moss’s career is apparently much on the rise. In fairness, she’s a superb actress and what Margaret Atwood thinks of Scientology is irrelevant to Moss’s acting ability.
All very true. If anything, I had to unlearn it to be successful and somehow, I made it, despite an education that stopped at 7th grade. Bravo to you for being able to function and prosper after all those years in the bubble. I know it’s so damn hard to do.
Well said Mike, love the fact that you SAY IT LIKE IT IS……. !!
So spot on and accurate.
Great article, Mike. The cult methodology, as I have learned by you and others, has always been about deflection of blame, taking grandiose credit for success, and taking pleasure in other’s “failures” to elevate superiority. Add to this the “pleasure of paying for this yourself” = meeting criteria for narcissism, the root and foundation of everything Scn.
Morally reprehensible.
I’m curious about Lisa Marie Presley. Do you all think she’ll come forward and be interviewed?
I’ve been following the seasons an was fortunate to finally see S1, E9. The gentlemen with glasses and white hair, although little remaining in his advanced age (sorry, but I can’t remember his age) brings home the tragedy of all former scientistologists following “policy” and their struggles in forgiving themselves. My big hope for him and all of those who actually were trained to truly commit crimes against humanity, can forgive themselves. I know you know that includes you Mike. As humans, we are social beings and we can’t ignore the fact that humans will behave in in humane ways with a “mob” mentality. So, he and you and anyone else knew no better. And now, you do know better. I’m proud to see and feel privileged to hear the truth as painful as it it through this series, that your group and all those who have come forward are doing the right thing. Kudos from the bottom of my heart.
Hitler also had a “never defend, always attack” strategy.
I like Jason Beghe, but what is “NW TV”?
Scio actor Michael Pena is working steadily.
The new Tom Cruise film had a had a low gross on opening day. But my wife liked it.
I’m guessing Network TV?
Could you please tell me when we can see the second season in the uk absolutely love this show keep up the good work ?
hi- most of the episodes are on you-tube. Go there and search and watch.
Plus this site has all of season 2’s shows on it. Cut and paste this link!
https://rutube.ru/video/d0a0e714b4805de37ba3334991326b78/?ref=search
I have been far more successful outside (not applying one ounce of tech), then when I was in, and I am only just warming up! ? Where I keep all my money and I decide where my money goes to help others.
And Mike, I would have brought a car from you…at full price ??
Me too, Mike! I’ll bet you were a hell of a good salesperson in every way. People NEED used cars. Cliches aside, people trust and depend upon used car salesmen! You should be PROUD and the cult should be ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES for trying to make less of you. – my God, they are a CHURCH sneering at honest work, sneering at someone trying to make a living after having devoted his whole adult life to them. A “church” that has NO problem accepting STOLEN money, embezzled money…Ok, enough, I don’t want to get too upset. So unfair, so unjust, grrrrrr…
Well, I was mostly a NEW car salesman. The majority of cars sold in a major dealership are new.
Well,OK, then, you were mostly.a new car salesman.
But the same qualities that would make a good used car salesman would also make a good new car salesman!
So there 🙂
Outstanding article in every way, Mike.
Mike,
I have watched every show that you & Leah have done together and it just continues to intrigue me…infuriate me…and break my heart. It makes me so sad that people get into this cult thinking they are going to be able to help others/help themselves, etc. and by the time they realize (if they ever do) what has happened, they are stuck. They drank the kool-aid and are so entrenched and indoctrinated into all the beliefs/rules that they don’t know what to do besides keep marching on into the madness.
The abuses that you have talked about make me sick. I keep watching the show…hoping against hope that people will wake up. If you can save one person from joining this cult or help one person to escape it, then you have succeeded. We are cheering you on! This cult and its leaders need to be accountable for their actions.
Keep up the good work!
Shari
The cult’s shills and panderers would be quick to point out Elisabeth Moss’s increasingly successful acting career as a direct challenge to the assertion that $cn sucks the life, creativity, resources and even children out of everyone who’s fool enough to stay in the cult for long.
However, I wonder if Ms. Moss’s career success and unmistakable talent as an actor is due, in part, to her keeping her distance from having any kind of close involvement in its auditing and training services. Despite being a 2nd gen cultist, she’s never been known to be a loud n’ proud cult promoting celeb.
Perhaps she was able to hold onto her creativity and talent despite, rather than because of her cult involvement, being a $INO ($cientologist In Name Only). If not, then she’d be a very rare exception to the general rule that, “The longer you’re in the cult, and the more intensively you’re involved with it, the less creative and intelligent you become”.
Chick Corea is an undeniable musical genius. It disgusts me the way the jazz world and the jazz press don’t get on him about his involvement with the cherch. Admittedly, the jazz community is a lot smaller than the pop music community and VERY much smaller than the world of Hollywood stardom. Still, he’s a great creative artist whom Miscavige can point to. And Corea is not shy about lending his talents to promoting the cherch. Of course, he’s never had to ruin is gifted fingers by scrubbing the inside of dumpster with a toothbrush and like all the rest of the “celebrities” gets shielded from what scientology really does. As long as he pimps for the cherch and gives it money, he’ll never get sec checked or sent to the RPF. He’s too valuable a commodity. And that’s my rant for the evening.
Good rant, bix.
Well, to be fair, Danny Masterson has apparently done SOMETHING since That 70’s Show …
Awesome post today Mike!
When I had been thoroughly indoctrinated into Hubbard’s tech – I have credit to everything good that happened to me to Scientology and everything bad that happened to my whole life overts and withholds.
I got into Scientology later in life
Much later…..after I had reached much success – financially and otherwise.
At the time I was introduced to Scientology
I was very vulnerable
Scientology exploited not only my human frailty but my human character flaws and I was trapped in the prison of belief.
I went up the Bridge quickly and trained to the top
Scientology was a mind fuck.
Scientology lead me to a state of confusion and due to that, I was making BIG mistakes.
Scientologist manipulated me through lithe Staff being dishonest and using deceit
I was scammed out of a lot of money and time.
The “training” caused me to doubt everyone and the PTS/SP course did a lot of damage due to the totalitarian type of brainwashing it subjects people to.
It is not true
People that criticize Scientology are trying to SAVE your life!
Glad you’re out, Idle. They really do twist your mind around. But, you did your old life back! May the best day of your past…..be the worst day of your future!
Carry on, Idle.
It would be interesting to know the total amount of debt held by current members. Not because I want to gloat but to show the real situation of these “successful” scientologists. My guess is that most members do not tell each other about their debt due to shame and embarrassment. Another tool used to keep them from talking to each other. Jobs are a means to independence and freedom. For most, they are a source of pride and self-worth. No wonder CO$ doesn’t want anyone to have one and if they do, wants to take credit for any success. CO$ steals your independence, your self-worth, your family, your freedom, your future, your hope, as well as your money. It has an appetite that cannot be satiated. I am so impressed by and happy for all who escaped and found employment inspite all of the abuse and fears heaped on you. I wish you all the best.
Except for the first 5 years, while I was in (a total of 25 years) I made good money and I was always broke. Always.
Since being out I make better money and am never broke.
Note to OSA: Everything really DOES improve once you locate your SP and disconnect! Why not give it a try, ladies and gentlemen?
Re: Catherine Bell. She is involved in a lesbian love affair( I know that’s sounds redundant,but so what) with Penny Jones’ daughter Brooke.
So I think the CofS is not putting her on the cover of CC magazine.
Sorry Mike ,I see that you just said that.
Curious: Is Co$ allowing Catherine Bell to be a Scientologist “in good standing” and at the same time involved in a same sex affair? Of course, her being in good standing probably hinges upon how much money she’s forking over and how good she is at keeping her mouth shut, but I thought I’d ask anyway.
It’s very true…I know a girl very well that works for them as an assistant…also a scientologist although she doesn’t live her life as such in the last 5 years…but she maintains that Bell is very much an advocate of the church. Strange when you consider the Paul Haggis stance on gay rights which is the proper stance to have. I also know Elfman’s assistant and talk about a nightmare situation…the brainwashing that must go on working for that family!!!!
Hi Mike, just out of curiosity, the assistant I speak of is a daughter of the Dr. David Singer family…Could you shed any light on that family and how deep they would be connected at this point? I know he was almost declared years back and has been a major revenue generator…Asking for personal reasons as there is a potential relationship there with her and as an outsider/non-sciontologist it’s hard to know whats real or not. She plays the cards close to the vest on the topic of the church and her ties.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Please and thank you. Love your work and courage to bring change!!!! Cheers
Best move of my life… ESCAPING the Sea Org.
You could probably write a book about your time in the Sea Org.
How about a bunch of ex-SO getting together to write a book or a documentary/mini series? Mike Rinder could be the producer and also have his story in it. We could do a Go Fund Me or some such to get the money together for it. I’ve got a great title but I’m going to email it privately to Mike because I don’t want Co$ to know what it is.
Hey Aqua…that is a great idea. Wide coverage via You Tube at the very least. Hmmmmm?
I think so! I can see Mike as the “Ken Burns” of the thing, producing it. I’m e-mailing him my title which at the risk of appearing very immodest I think is quite good. Not sure if it could be used without Co$ suing but Mike would know.
Mike, excuse my talking about you as if you’re not present :).
Excellent article Mike, spot on. I once told an SO member that I wanted to focus on being an artist, and she said ‘If you’re not going to be a WORLD FAMOUS artist, then what’s the point?’ Therein lies the twisted, aberrated and destructive mentality of the scintologist…
What gross stupidity! Or is is just shallowness? Artists make art because that’s what they’re driven to do in this life. In fact, I daresay that being “world famous” often gets in the way of creating real art.
As an ex sea org member (FBO) I am finding great solace in your blog and the A&E series. I have been “out” almost longer than you were “in”. I routed out and paid my freeloaders debt, at the time I still believed in the tech but could not support the administration. While I and my husband are still considered in good standing (I’m sure that won’t last long now! Lol). The event that really ended my faith in Scientology was in 1984 we were still getting services sporadically and our child was born very ill and when she died we went for counselling and support. I was told by my auditor, in session that if I had not left the Sea Org my child would not have died. Sometimes we get calls to come back and if I am in a particularly evil mood I will hand the phone to my husband who will take a strip off the caller as only a Scientology exec can. Mike, keep up the good work. You are very courageous
Hi Harlequincq – sorry for the loss of your child.
“I was told by my auditor, in session that if I had not left the Sea Org my child would not have died.” WTF!!!!!!!! An auditor talking to a PC like this is outrageous. This is a SO robot at its best. Kudos to you for not punching the shit out of him/her.
Thank you Ms. P.
“I was told by my auditor, in session that if I had not left the Sea Org my child would not have died.”
Harlequincq,
I have not the words to convey how appalling this is to me. My God, it is just not to be believed. .How could anyone say that to someone who had just buried a child? Or buried any dearly loved one? Its too much. If there is a hell,if hell of some sort actually exists – whatever hell actually is, then, for saying this to you, this cult bot monster belongs in it, forever. I’m so sorry.. I hope you keep healing, here with us.
And, Jesus Christ on a bicycle, the creature said this to you IN SESSION?
And THIS called itself an auditor, did it?
Thank you Aquamarine, the healing is ongoing but the A&E series has really helped me. It took eight years of being away from Scn for us to say “perhaps we were brainwashed” after we had been out ten years we could finally say yes we were brainwashed. We are just now realizing how much tech is in our heads and what we need to let go of.
God that is awful….so sorry for your loss. Maybe I knew you back then……..it is all a mind f……
Louis Reisdorf (Louie). Thank you. I left the SO in 1980, while I trained on Flag I was posted in Toronto Ontario. Although I was a Finance and Watchdog missionaire around the US. I keep watching the shows hoping to see some familiar faces.
This is despicable, Harlequin! I’m saddened by your loss and the cults treatment of you. Just another example of how emotionally disconnected/detached many of them have become in their indoctrination process.
I pray you have found peace and comfort in the time following your loss. I cannot imagine what losing a child is like.. No words are adequate to express my sadness for you…..so I offer a hug from afar. >>>>HUG<<<<
Wow, that’s horrible. I’m very sorry for your and your husband’s tragic loss. And I’m even more sorry that you had to have someone basically blame you for it just because you left the Sea Org. You certainly didn’t deserve that.
Harle Q: I am so very sorry to hear this about your child. Her death parallels Lisa McPherson’s in that Lisa was pulled out of the ER by Scientologists who said they would heal her with their methods. They failed to produce resuts. So very sorry. Hugs from afar.
A horrific but yet mind boggling statement that “if I had not left the Sea Org my child would not have died”…..
So then, what is their reasoning behind their VERY LOYAL to the cause celebs John Travolta & wife Kelly Preston’s SON Jett’s death??? THEY are long time members & big monetary donors…yet their son Jett was born with autism or within the spectrum of autism……WHAT did THEY do “wrong”…..shouldn’t their son Jett have been “reborn” into a perfect body?
My heart aches for your loss, no parent should ever have to deal with the death of a child…….
“This “win/win” takes many forms and is a practiced art of the scientologist”
True that, Mike,
The win-win comes from Scientology’s viewpoint/side ONLY. The members are not allowed the win-win attitude that all of their successes are due to their own cause and all of their failures are due to Scientology’s flawed dogma. No, that would not do.
I got over ‘blame’ being used by Scientology to control me back in 1970. In word clearing ‘blame’ I found that it came from the old Greek blaspheme (meaning to speak evil of). I saw how such a manipulative word would become an essential tool of anyone/group/
government/religion to elevate their standing and to avoid the truth. Some use it more than others, but as you wrote, ‘blame’ is a practiced art in Scientology.
Once Scientology embraced this ‘blame’ game, plus taking Hubbard’s dogma literally, they doomed themselves to the vast trash bin of failed movements in the history of humanity.
Aren’t Thetans really just a made up character of a delusional washed up science fictional writer?Scientology is a trap for the nieve and vulnerable run by sick people he’ll bent on ruining people’s lives
My body thetans keep trying to convince me that they’re real. I just don’t listen to them.
“Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others. But behind this mask of ultraconfidence lies a fragile self-esteem that’s vulnerable to the slightest criticism.”
Need I say more?
First off prayers to all who suffered in Las Vegas, NV. And a quote from Robert F. Kennedy,” Tragedy is a tool for the living to gain wisdom, not a guide by which to live.” Maybe T.C. and J.T. fear coming out I truly believe they will be astounded at all the good things that will be available. We are not enemies but ones who want freedom from mind control with intimidation tactics. Just sayin……
Dave,
Lose / Lose Vermin Update:
Meritocracy is back.
John Koskinen is OUT at the IRS on November 12, 2017. All stops are being pulled to get your Cult DECLARED.
The friend-of-my-enemy-is-my-enemy Simpletons are melting down or getting mowed down. Some are contorting themselves into pretzels to prove their unprovable nonsense. A few are becoming flake journalists.
He-who-cannot-be-given-credit will snuff you out the first time you appear on the radar.
Very impressive writing Mike.
The peculiar thing I see is Hubbard’s traits shinning through in the people who profess to be Scientologists. Hubbard had some very negative things to say about life itself and professed we all need to play a better game (or else doom and gloom will get us all). It’s a theme that runs though the whole subject and is particularly evident in the fact he had to revise so much of it, all the time. He saw the failures in others trying to apply it constantly and had no choice but to fantasize and research and alter it up to his dying day, always hoping for some magical breakthrough that will materialize out of the ether to set everything right. Now an arrogant, money hungry asshole like Miscavige is in charge.
There is no better game to be had by playing Scientology. What further evidence do you need than observing those who can afford it go about their daily business. Scientology is a mirror to it’s own members failures, and boy are they blind! No wonder they blame others – that’s all they are good at!
There is nothing wrong with being a car salesman. We are proud of how you have carried on after what you went through
We’ve all heard the adage “Living well is the best revenge”
I can’t even begin to imagine how pissed Miscavige must be that Mike is doing as well as he is.
Miscavige seemed to have a particular bee in his little tiny bonnet when it came to Mike.
Now Mike is living with his beautiful family and exposing Miscavige’s crimes on TV every week.
Ah, it doesn’t get much better than that!
And PS as the owner of a few Toyota Siennas over the past 15 years – the Toyota salesmen I dealt with were great guys, very professional and never tried to sell me any books nor did they ever try to get me to donate gold bouillon.
I’m driving a Mazda. Great vehicle; too bad Toyota stopped making it.
Great post Mike! Question: besides the ridiculous hate websites, is Scientology still “coming after” you in any way?
Another failure “stinking up the lobby at CC” is poor old John Travolta, whose career may roughly be spilt into BEFORE ‘Battlefield Earth’: rapid rise to superstardom, only marred by a 1980s downturn when he rejected many good roles, while obsessed with going up the bridge — and AFTER ‘Battlefield Earth’: career effectively destroyed by Miscavige-sponsored self-produced stinker, since when there’s really only been ‘Wild Hogs’, ‘Hairspray’, and er, that voiceover in ‘Bolt’…
A stuck flow can only be handled by handing over your child’s college fund.
Well said Mike, but one addition. The reason the Celebrities in Scientology are not successful with their careers anymore is due to reaching higher Dynamics. They have seen the Light, and they are Set Free. Their bodies have become mere vessels of their Thetan, who is moving away from MEST and into Dynamic 7 and 8. They have no need for ‘success’ or ‘money’ at D7 or D8. Right? … Incident One is run and destimulated, they are now returning to Zero, the Eternal Static. They are now starting to mock up their own Universe with their super OT Thetan powers, and become D8 themselves. (D8 is scientology religious jargon for God)
Or it could just be that the “A” list Scientology celebrities (Cruise, Travolta and Alley) are getting a little long in the tooth.
The irony of Scientology referring to Leah as a “has been actress” while they schlep out Kirstie Alley as a Scientology success story is too delicious for words.
Golden-Era, I’m sure your comment was tongue in cheek but I’d like to add to it if I may.
Yes, all these celebs have moved on. Bigger, better goals have been targeted. They’ve transcended their former pedestrian purposes, and no longer need to strive for mere wog fame.and fortune. They are above and far beyond that. New vistas await the Celebrities of Scientology, and their eyes are looking at their powerful futures, with no regrets for past glory…
Of course, TinselTown would just say, : “They’re washed up”.
Sarcastic?
Much?
Sarcastic, yes. A lot 🙂
Actually Catherine Bell has a successful show filmed in Canada called The Good Witch. As for the rest of your post, spot on.
Isn’t she just quietly done?
See https://www.mikerindersblog.org/cc-gala-whats-missing/
Last time I talked to her, Cat had a girlfriend so I don’t think she is in the cult anymore. She makes TONS of cash off of syndicated reruns.
Penny Atwell Jones’ daughter?
I don’t know Mike. This was several years ago and she just mentioned that she was divorced and going on vacation with her girlfriend (unnamed). I ran into her in Manhattan, total happenstance.
Interesting. Penny’s daughter lived with her last I knew, but I don’t know if that was a long-term relationship. It generated a lot of embarrassment.
Probably the same person. Cat isn’t flighty or fickle. Very down to Earth and thoughtful.
I commented further up if you could please have a look…She is still in and very much an advocate according to her personal assistant who I know…Bell is still in the lesbian relationship and the source is a daughter of the DR. DAVID SINGER (deeply rooted scios) family who works for them. Interesting considering the Haggis stance which we should all applaud.
Would really appreciate any info past or present on the VENEGAS – SINGERS for personal relationship reasons. Would be much appreciated. Anyone?
ConfusedWOG, where and when has Cat been advocating Scientology? She hasn’t made any public statements for MANY years. If your “source” is a scamologist and there is no public utterances from Cat you can be SURE that it is a lie.
I think she and her partner, the daughter of a prominent scientologist, were being given Scientology’s special celebrity dispensation to have a same-sex relationship, without the typical consequences that the other 99% of members would suffer for doing so. And I believe she’s been seen recently dating a man.
Both Bodhi Elfman and Elisabeth Moss have recently said things indicating they believe it is okay to be gay, with I think speaks to just how different things are for coddled Hollywood scientologists. My challenge to that is, if it’s true, then where are the gay Scientology executives, Sea Org and staff, and rank and file members?
“Special dispensation to have a same-sex relationship”.
From the Dwarf Himself, one assumes?
After all, He has given Himself “special dispensation” to commit adultery.
So why should He be pejorative about Catherine Bell’s gayness? Somehow, HER gayness is NOT “`1.1” but as for anyone else, er, not so fast…
She alone is not a “pervert” like LRH said all gay people,defacto, are?
And, Captain David Miscavige, HE can conduct an adulterous affair but somehow this doesn’t defacto relegate him to the much lower tone levels?
Amazing. Amazing and disgusting, the blatant hypocrisy of this cult.
How can the Still Ins not see it? (Hand wringing and other ranting gestures.)
Are they fucking BLIND?
Bodhi and Jenna Elfman…I know their nanny/personal assistant who is also deeply in…Man what a couple to work for. They are completely nuts and the stories I’ve heard would make most run for the hills…
But but but Jenna is a Social Personality! Look how nice she is to male horses!
Mike her’s a story,off topic…(or is it ?).
Long time local Scn,Olga Favrow, and her son, both partners in Real Estate here in Cw. The last 3 years making big donations,
” Patron Supurfulous” and all that nonsense.
At Flag ,doing L’s, Super Power, everything on the menu.
It just came out she has been running a Ponzi scheme,bilking Scn, and non-Scn alike.
Flag returned her money,and OSA called in their lawyers.
Speaking of Scn. ponzi schemes, that brings to mind a couple of choice people I I met through the orgs in the 70’s: Dafna Dan (briefly married to Captain Bill), and Larry Bake (schuckster supreme) (aka Ren Bake). Watch out for those two!
OMG, I hadn’t thought of Larry “Shake N” Bake in a very long time!
$cn has always been a protean fraud scam, cleverly disguised as a killer mind control cult, but there were some real characters in it way back in the day. Indeed, I would have had a really great time with all the colorful folks that I met during my relatively short cult career in the late 70’s if it had not been for the $cn part 😉
Yes, Harpoona, very colourful indeed!
“Danny Masterson has done nothing since the 70’s.”
Full title: “That 70’s Show”
Slip of the pen 😛
Might be deliberate.
Or not. 😀
You knocked it out of the park with this one, Mike! But you forgot to mention another stinking it up at CC: John Travolta. He hasn’t had a great hit since Grease. Most of his stuff is mediocre or an outright flop. But what about Laura Prepon? Is she a Scn? I have heard rumors that she is. If she is, she certainly hides the fact from Hollywood and the public.
Well, JT has had quite a lot of hits since Grease, though nothing REALLY memorable since Pulp Fiction. Go check IMDB. He also was widely acclaimed for his role as Robert Shapiro in the Emmy winning OJ True Crime series last year.
Laura Prepon actively promotes herself as a scientologist. Just google it.
I agree he was great in Pulp Fiction, but as far as the OJ movie, EVERY review I read said the whole cast was stellar EXCEPT for JT. I watched the series and he stunk up every scene he was in. It was laughable. A terrible portrayal of Mr. Shapiro.
Elizabeth Moss is the new IT girl and she should be; she’s a good actress.
The fact is that a person who is left with nothing and who is destitute/homeless because he/she stood up against human rights abuses is more humane and more human that any “successful” celebrity/person who turns a blind eye to human rights violations.
Elizabeth Moss is indeed the new Scientology “It” girl. A very talented actress with a recent Emmy and a number of Emmy noms before that.
She’s so grateful to the cult for all that she has achieved.
Here’s her statement to the press:about Scientology : “It hasn’t hurt my career”.
Really over the top grateful, isn’t she? 🙂 LOLOL!
Thanks you for that. Right on.
I’m no rabid Travolta fan, but he had successes after “Grease”. “Look Who’s Talking” was a modest hit in 1989, and spawned two sequels. “Get Shorty” made $115 million on a $30 million budget, while “Michael” and “Phenomenon” did similar business. He made a memorable turn as the charismatic yet unhinged villain in John Woo’s “Broken Arrow”; the two re-teamed with Nicolas Cage in “Face/Off” a year later. His performance in “Hairspray” got a lot of attention, and his biopic on mobster John Gotti is in post-production.
Interestingly, his biggest flop is probably “Battlefield Earth”, based on the works of (what a shock!) L. Ron Hubbard.
I’ve always liked Travolta. I’ve long known he’s gay. I was friends with someone who lived with an actor who knew Travolta well. Wish I could tell you more. Anyway, I’ve always liked him and I especially liked him in “Michael”. Efron wrote it. Really good film, and he was perfect in it as the Archangel Michael. Very amusing and he also made me cry.
I find that unlikely, for one simple reason: he’s been married to Kelly Preston for 26 years. They also had three (now two) kids. Some will say its a front, but that would take a ton of focused effort over a such a long timespan. And quite frankly, you’d think someone who’s that good of an actor would have more big box-office hits, as well.
I get your point, Joshua B, Perhaps you’ve never heard of well known gay men who marry women and have children?
Just off the top of my head: Rock Hudson, Danny Kaye, the songwriter Cole Porter, the playwright Moss Hart?
Again, I don’t know Travolta personally but I knew someone who knew him quite well in the before he married Preston. What I was told had nothing to do with Scientology or with Travolta being a Scientologist and it was not told to me by this person in anger or dislike of Travolta. .
I’ve always liked JT as an actor and he just comes across as likable to me. I have no ax to grind about him as regards his sexual orientation.
I feel that an actor only owes a good performance. As people, as humans, we’re all flawed in one way or another, n’est-pas?
Who knows what my dry cleaner is like at home? He seems like a decent man but who knows? Maybe he slept with his sister when they were kids. I’m just making this up and being totally outrageous but you get the idea.
To be honest, I don’t spend much time around homosexuals at all. I could go into why, but Mike erased the bulk of my post last time I commented on that issue. Suffice it to say I don’t share the currently-popular “gay is okay” idea. I try my best not to hate anyone, but I don’t believe that loving someone means you never oppose their ideas or behavior. If you want to read more of my views on this, here’s an article I wrote some time ago, just to get my stance down on paper…
http://joshuabelyeu.blogspot.com/2017/09/homosexuality-religion-in-united-states.html
Thank you for not going into detail about your views. Anyone interested can read your link.
Even this comment pushes my limits on what I consider to be acceptable — but you get some leeway as you don’t JUST show up with your anti-gay ideas.
For the record, I DO spend a lot of time around homosexuals, including some of our closest friends and people I work with. I am sure there are good and bad in every slice of society, but I happen to find incredibly caring, artistic, witty, competent people in my circle of gay friends. They stand out to me for their empathy and genuine concern for the well-being of others.
Maybe you should try spending some more time around homosexuals. They are better than “okay.” The implication that they are some sort of freak abomination or it’s a choice is ignorant and unkind.
Mike, recently (published in a UK major paper) there was a project where they have a computer program that after visually scanning a male face can tell with ~85-90% accuracy rate if the guy is homosexual. It looks for shape of face and structure.
This means that it IS genetic. Or epi-genetic. It is NOT a choice like you pointed out.
I’ve been reading about Danny Masterson and the rape accusations going back years!
Kirstie Alley is the most rabid “celebrity” member. She has zero credibility on anything. She can’t control what comes out of her mouth any better that what comes in. Scientology hasn’t helped with her obesity!
Agree with you on Kirstie Alley. A total loser, to borrow a phrase from our current Leader of the Free World.
I will say her daughter is quite nice and pleasant although she seems to have gotten much more extreme with the cult recently…It’s really too bad. Seems to be getting very sucked in. Spent a lot of time at the home is Los Feliz.
And what ever happened to Johnny Unitas who famously did some Dianetics back in the 70s. I suspect he ‘took the knee’.
Could you mean John Brodie?
Thanks for mentioning Johnny U. He was our much-beloved hero. When the announcer at Memorial Stadium called him onto the field and we heard “Playing Quarterback!” a roar went up that could be heard for a mile or more and went on and on and on.
Still gives me chills remembering.
Too say nothing of doing a ‘see no Sunday or too’.
Oops , supposed to be at the bottom of Rick Pyles’ comment
Good one Mike. I had a realization after reading it looking back on my own track as a public-consumer of Scientology services. Scientologists employ confirmation bias to reaffirm their “reality” about their realizations from auditing. They read these “new abilities” back to the examiner (after a major auditing step is completed) from the 3 X 5 cards handed to them, right before they attest. And then write their “success story”. (more confirmation) Then they stand for a moment and are applauded by staff members (especially newer ones who could stand a little more confirmation bias conditioning about why the hell they are working 80 hours a week for peanuts) ) All very confirming. Warm fuzzies abound. Then.. they are ROUTED to the registrar for another sales opportunity. This entire cycle of confirmation manipulation and conditioning in itself becomes just one of the rituals that cement the entire package of un-inspected agreements together. (by agreements I refer to all of the statements by Hubbard, all of the cultural morays and agreements, slogans and all, and the entire Gradation Chart – “Bridge to Total Freedom”.) All of these data points being glued together and handed over to the new initiate with the expectation they are going to “get it” and eventually come onboard. (“for the duration, on the same terms as the rest of us”) When a person departs Scientology, this action threatens the the very same confirmation bias-and beliefs on the part of the staff and public. Now I get it. I understand why critics and whistle blowers are attacked. Because inside the minds of every true believer inside the bubble there is a remaining molecule of their former selfs that still knows the truth, that is still doubting. Your point about the “win/win” makes perfect sense. — Hubbard made an interesting comment in one of his training lectures. He said “eventually you will need to run out Scientology as well”. —
Very correct, Doug. However, it’s simply am extension of a “sales pitch”. When I was running the PE lectures all those years ago, the Personality Test was issued immediately after the lecture, ALL OF THE GUESTS REMAINING IN THE LECTURE ROOM. The tests would be scored immediately. We would then take one or two prospects at a time out to see the reges, ALWAYS with a hand touching and guiding the potential “customer”. I trained the reges to ALWAYS stand up, come around their desk and shake hands with the prospect and invite him/her to sit down, indicating the *very* comfortable chair we had available. (The reges were also often very pretty and well dressed.) And the person who had guided the prospect there would then shake hands with the prospect again, say something like “it was a pleasure meeting you and I hope I see more of you”. The reg then did the sales job, always dealing only with the $15 basic comm course. That being successful, the reg would then personally escort the new student to Treasury to pay for the course, always with a hand still touching the student casually and introducing the treasursy person by name, letting go only when the treasury person had put out his/her hand for a handshake. Once the payment cycle was done, the treasury person might suggest looking at books, often guiding the new student over to meet the book seller. If the system had so many prospects at one time that registrars were getting behind, we altered the system to take waiting prospects first to the bookstore, again “handing” him over physically.
There is NOTHING NEW about any of this. “Love bombing works!” Successful sales organizations have been doing it for many, many decades and will probably continue to do so. We just made it as smooth and easy as possible. You’ll see something like this in any good auto dealership. The prospect is NEVER left alone waiting for the next step. You don’t always make the sale, but at the least you leave them with a good impression of you.
Hey Pete, your lectures are well remembered. I was the guy grading all the tests at the Martinique in 1968.
Off topic but pertinent to all of those who have sought spiritual liberation on the path of your choice.
To life!!!
Thank you Tom Petty
Like a snowman I will melt
Like a salt statue thrown in the ocean
Like the seasons that come and go
Like the dew that vanishes with the sun
Like the pedal in full bloom then withered
Like an actor bowing and going home
Like waking from a dream
Death: the macabre specter of hope for new beginnings
Death: the reunion with ancestors, friends and family
Death: the proof of no death
Death: the proof of glorious life
In death, all those who have departed from this shore terrestrial, shall meet and love again and again. With smiles everlasting, the delusive idea of “life’s end” will vanish before the truth of the soul’s incorruptibility.
Onwards! There is no death! Tears only for a time!
Love Always and Forever!
Brian
On topic:
L Ron Hubbard was a psychological magician who sold you causation, the convinced you you were the effect of making believe space aliens:
BLAME
L Ron Hubbard wished for suicide at the end of life:
BODY DEATH
L Ron Hubbard was stealth most of his messianic life:
HIDING
Where are these states of being on the tone scale?
Oh, and DM:
PUNISHING BODIES
“PUNISHING BODIES”
Isn’t that what Krusty is doing all the while trying to imitate good old “Yo Dave”!
BTW Dave,
Here is a question for you and Your OSA buddies. How many signatures will Jeffery ultimately get on the change.org petition? And the sequel; when will the IRS take up the petition and change Your Status good buddy? You may go down in history as the ultimate recipient of the stellar Patron Fuckedtothemaximus award bestowed upon only the most abusive cult leaders.
For anyone who has not signed up, you can check it out here:
Jeffrey Augustine via Change.org [change@mail.change.org]
“Patron Fuckedtothemaximus” . Still laughing!
Brilliant!
This is to Brian re what you said about Tom Petty. What a musician he was. RIP.
My band (Catalina Eddy) does a lot of Petty songs. My lead guitarist wants to do a lot more. We lost one the great ones.
OSD, I was jamming with my son the other evening when my husband came in and told me the news about Tom Petty. We immediately switched over to a bunch of Petty songs in tribute, I guess. RIP, Tom.
P.S. your band looks pretty hot, Old Surfer Dude!
Brian, thanks for the Tom Petty quotation. Utterly beautiful.
Hi Peter, for clarity’s sake, it is my writing. Thanks for appreciating it.
Now, Mike, I love you but I have to say wait a minute. Some of those stars are still working. Acting is a fickle business and it’s normal to go a while without a starring role. I looked up Jenna and she is still working, mostly. So is Anne Archer. Danny is on a show right now, that I’ve never heard of, but still, he’s the first name in the Wikipedia entry. Juliette was the lead on a series that was just cancelled. And you forgot Elizabeth Moss. Now, Kirstie is a bucket of fail, that’s for sure, And there is no doubt that Jason, Paul and Leah are roaring with success right now. But don’t fall into the Scientology trap of minimizing successes just to make your point about failure.
OK, not wanting to get into a big back and forth about this, but let me clarify:
Jenna Elfmann had a series this year (Imaginary Mary) that was canceled after 9 episodes (a full run is 13) because it bombed and the network cut their losses. Had this been Jason Beghe or Leah Remini scientology would have been gloating over their failure as proof of their SPness.
Anne Archer has a lesser role in a movie (TRafficked) that has not yet been released and otherwise one walk-on for a single episode of a little known series in 2016
Danny Masterson, you are right, he has a Netflix show with his bud Ashton Kutcher.
Juliette Lewis — it’s been all downhill since Natural Born Killers.
I didnt mention Elisabeth Moss because scientology is already taking credit for her success — since Mad Men.
I like the reality show “The Path” a little better. At least she has been well trained by the Cult to play the part. No slite intended here, she does a good job.
Who are you talking about?
What stood out to me, first, is you can make at least double flipping burgers as you do in the sea org, yet THAT is jeered at. Yeah instead, take your measly 50$ a week and work 16 hours a day .. and like it.
More logic. Great article!
Mike, good article and important to dispel the fear of leaving the cult myth.
There are qualified exceptions.
Michael Peña is still doing fine and of course Elizabeth Moss. The fact is, defending Scientology is not helping them boost their careers to greater heights.
And They do not compare to Jeffrey Tambor who left the cult and has won both Emmys and golden globes and is beloved for his graciousness and LGBT advocacy.
Ultimately I have seen every talented Scientology artist become tarnished. They all stay within the bubble and that alone guarantees they will never fully be accepted by the public. They can hide behind their money and their sycophants but when they look at the real successes that their talent could bring they know the truth.
Maybe these celebs are really comfy in their bubble. Their “support system”, don’tcha know. Showered with praise and approval continually, so long as they give enough money. Never made wrong about not working enough or being no longer popular with the public, so long as they give enough money. Maybe in their own way, the thought of venturing “out there” is just as scary as it is for non celebs who’ve been regular public or on staff for decades. After all,the wog world is SO evil, SO suppressive – forget about succeeding,how would they even survive in it, alone, and unconccected to ” Source”?
Great article Mike! Success starts when you leave this horrific cult called Scientology ??
For sure.
Amen!
The longer I am out, and the more I read and listen to books, blogs and youtube, the wider the gulf between IN and OUT clarifies.
They do a good job protecting the mind control, don’t they?
Bubble and tunnel vision can’t capture the smallness of the world and view of scientologists. It’s such a tiny rigid crazy thing. For me, every day, the world of scientology gets smaller and the real world gets bigger. (and more exciting and interesting)
Back in my original org, there are handfuls of folks who got in or who were in 40 years ago. And you’re right, those who are OT and have businesses and actually Get Up The Bridge are lauded as examples of the tech working.
Then there those who have hung on re-doing the less expensive lower bridge stuff, basics and congresses, objectives and div 6 courses (“just to stay connected to LRH”) They’re on staff, they’re off, now back on for another contract …. someday it’ll all pay off and they’ll make it, right?
………..
I listened to the youtube interviews of Astra and Zoe Woodcraft and was simply astounded. Their stories ring 100 percent true and their delivery is astonishing. So well spoken, so simple, calm, it just flows out of them without embellishment or attempts to convince or impress. They paint an accurate picture of the happenings and mindsets and what went on.
SO funny, after listening to Jason Beghe – he slays me. He reminds me of a male version of myself in a way, he’s so excitable and emphatic. Just brilliant. So his interview was all over the map vocally and emotionally, – – just fantastic stuff… and then I follow it up with these two gals, their dispassion is almost eerie.
I have first hand knowledge of much of that which they speak. Not only do I know they are credible from my own travels and staff experience, their delivery brooks no disbelief.
……
I just can’t help but wish with all my heart that we couldn’t somehow get all the info together in one place: These are the names of the thousands who have left, these are the stories.
…
and I ordered a copy of the Janis’s book. I want it in my hands and I want my money in her hands. I’m gathering a hidden library. 🙂
Kind of like Farenheit 451. I love it!
and today I listened to, “Scientology – Dentists Life destroyed by WISE and Scientology”, youtube. THIS was also amazing.
This lady sounded so green, yet she knew what she was talking about. She described what it was like to get involved from an outsider view. Everything that has been as familiar as my own face in the mirror, she describes as a newbie with fresh eyes.
Hahaha! Everything sounded SO ridiculous! Describing things as an outsider, it all sounded impossible to believe, it was so awful and ridiculous.
And thus, this too has helped me.
After listening for awhile, I began to wonder why any of my non-scio family/friends even had anything to do with me, how could anyone even LIKE me, since I was just a robot scio zombie? I owe decades of tolerance.
These vids need to be required reading.
I guess they tolerated you and your time in the cult because they love you. Yeah, the cult jargon probably bugged them.
it’s the way the jargon is used, as a non-arguable fact – that sets my teeth on edge these days.
The arrogance/certainty/insistence behind it is what is difficult to deal with, for me. It’s hard not to press my lips together and turn away.
I’ve been bowled over by the excellent illustrations and descriptions of how scientology/cults mold people to all have the same personality. The same personality traits, opinion, viewpoint, method of handling, arrogance, and blindspots.
The Dentist vid really hit home as she described how more and more you cut yourself off from your family, how they become less important, from your friends, children, and the world. How no one has the correct answers but Ron, how you’re then left surrounded by like-minded people… …. this whole section of her vid just rocked my world. The simplicity of her delivery – detailing my life like a hidden observer – just rocked me.
I have so far to go. But it IS getting better. This part is helping. I was coming a bit unglued there for awhile.
*breathe *breathe *breathe……
A religion that “wishes” bad things to happen to people who exit it is NOT a religion. In reality, people change their minds, they might be a member of a church for years, & then the church “policy” changes & they don’t agree with those changes. That is one reason I left a church I belonged to for many years…..I no longer agreed with their point of view.
Doesn’t seem like Cruise has had much luck in the world of marriage….three divorces from three lovely women isn’t at all the “norm” in life. DM, the head of this organization whose wife be at his side as is also the “norm”, hasn’t been seen in public in more than a decade.
The day will come eventually when one of their mega stars might see the light & they too make a run for the nearest exit door, only to have their deepest & darkest secrets be exposed to the public. Fear can keep them “in” for decades, fear of exposure, fear of being ruined once things are made available in print or on the internet. The organization sees all and knows all……some celebs cannot GET out, they’d lose too much.
This was a very well written article, how very sad that an organization that describes itself as a “church” can wish only bad & harmful events happen to people who exit it.
I really hope the higher-up celebs leave, for two reasons. First, anyone who leaves Scientology is immensely better for it, regardless of income. Second, seeing the more prominent members leave might send a message to the younger folks, that “something’s rotten in the house of Miscavige”.
Ballet lady, no matter what anyone says, Scientology is a vicious, brainwashing cult. No ifs, ands or butts about it.
“A religion that ‘wishes’ bad things to happen to people to exit it is NOT a religion.”
Well said, and so true.
Its disgusting that the cult expresses such thoughts. Rack up another reason why I’m embarrassed to admit having been a part of that organization.
They make my skin crawl.
This is an extension of the No True Scotsman fallacy.
“No TRUE scientologist (a person who uses scientology in their life) is poor.” Would be an example.
They wouldn’t be poor??? Bwahahahahahahahahahahaha!!! Now that’s some funny shit!
I think he meant Spiritually poor. Oh wait, that is just a s funny!
ANYWAY you slice it guys it’s funny. 🙂
Don’t forget, I’m a Scotsman. Aaarrrrgggggg!
Not only does Scientology count the hits and not the misses, they also make up fake hits and fake misses.
Would you expect anything less?
Two for the price of one comes to mind. That slippery zero again. Anything mulipied by it is always zero, except in Scientology.
Great post. Some of the most effective and well-respected leaders (generals, coaches, etc.) in history operated under the philosophy that they will take the blame for losses, and give credit to their subordinates for successes. Scientology is just the opposite, particularly for Hubbard and Miscavige. They only take credit for any and all successes and lay any blame for failures elsewhere (God forbid they should be seen as anything less than the epitome of absolute perfection). And at the end of the day, it’s all about the money.
To borrow a phrase from Reagan (although he was talking about government in general): “Scientology is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.”
Based on what I’ve learned so far, that seems to be the Church of Scientology in a nutshell.
Good point. Yes, that’s how great leaders and great actors and managers and effective people in general operate;; the buck stops with them when things go wrong and when they go right such people always acknowledge the contributions of their subordinates Not that I’m that huge fan of a Ronald Reagan – I liked him and voted for him but never worshiped him as some do – anyway, I read somewhere that he had a plaque above his desk (paraphrased) “There is no end to what can be accomplished if you don’t care who gets the credit”. Wow, right?
Aquamarine, that’s a powerful quote!
Yes. He, or his speechwriter, also said, “Trust, but verify”.
??
Yeah, this one strikes home.
The whole “you’ll be flipping burgers for the rest of your life” line is strictly designed to terrorize poor Sea Org members against thinking they will be better off if they leave the organization, particularly the ones that were recruited right out of school, or when they were in their early teens.
The true intent of the Freeloader debt is similarly designed to prevent loss of Sea Org members who essentially work for free.
One thing I will say about working in the Sea Org: You sure become a hardworking person.
And when you leave, ANYTHING you do will seem like a breeze. AND you get TWO DAYS OFF EVERY WEEK!
Seriously, it took about 5 years for the giddy thrill of a The Weekend to sort of feel normal.
For me, it’s funny. I’m doing a very similar job to what I did while on my last post in the Sea Org.
Only now, I make well into 6 figures every year.
So much for burger flipping.
Hey John! Can you spot me $20?
most burger flippers usually get a decent meal for free and if they quit don’t have to re-pay their training cost.
And they can end up managing a franchise and later eventually owning one or more frachise and doing well for themselves. Its a viable path to material comfort and security for some people. I know some restaurant owners who started out as waiters dependent upon tips to survive. One restaurant owner I I know has insisted that his son wait on tables in the restaurant that will be left to his when he retires..
Maybe a taco at Fred’s or Duke’s.
Taco Tuesday at Fred’s Cantina can’t be beat! You’re across the street from the Huntington Beach pier, with a great view of everything (Fred’s is on the second floor). One of our favorite places to eat.
I love Fred’s!! I need to overcome my lack of tolerance for the 91 fwy and drive to Fred’s…
Good for you jd.
That’s terrific, John Doe! There’s nothing that burns up the cult more than someone leaving and then going out into WogWorld and doing well! But aside from that, its great for you, the hell with them!
Just as another example, take Mike Rinder leaving and to date, he’s been an integral part of not one but TWO Emmy Award winning documentaries. AND they’ve never been able to stably replace him in his former post. Oooh how that must burn up Tiny Fists!
PS: (Yes, Tommy,D, we know you gave it your best shot but you just weren’t up to running in the tall grass with the top dogs, were you? But no worries, Tommy Boy, your Daddy’s rich and your Ma she’s good lookin’ so hush little baby, don’t you cry.)
And, Tommy, dear little boy, never fear, there will never be a whisper of invalidation about you for having left the Sea Org, not like those others, those vast multitudes of UnWashed who are, sadly, unlike YOU, Degraded Beings Who Let Down LRH and The Group.
Speaking to this, some years ago it was decreed that no Ex-SO would ever be allowed to be featured in a magazine success story finishing an OT level, or in one of those manic event videos showing some success at something the church was promoting.
When I asked why, they danced around the answer, but it was essentially, they didn’t want to have Sea Org members, who struggle, don’t make any money, and never go up the bridge, see their ex-SO friends having these prosperous, happy, OT level-achieving lives.
Hi Mike! Very interesting points. There is one thing you didn’t mention though: Inside CoS, everything any CS does is gold. “Battlefield Earth,” to every Scientologist, is supposed to be treated as the greatest story ever told. Inside CoS, regardless of what a Scientologist ACTUALLY thinks about a movie, anything public is lauded as a success, and everyone is pressured into believing that this success is real; only the wogs think things are a failure.
Since film and television success are subjective, it’s a good choice for CoS to focus on these celebrities, rather than to focus on politicians or, God forbid, ACTUAL scientists…
It’s without question that leaving the cult and speaking out can boost a celebrities career. I wonder who will be next.
My money is on JT….I think his ego is less inflated than Krusty or Dom Cruise.
Other religions and cults do this same sort of thing. In Christianity, if anything good happens in your life, you need to say how God is responsible for this. If anything bad happens, it’s because you sinned. However, $cientology is peculiar in that if someone leaves the fold, they actually want someone to do badly. $cientology has zero compassion for someone who has left the “church” and is actually vindictive on top of that. “Your life will suck if you leave scientology, and we’ll make sure of that!”
As a Christian I don’t quite agree with what you’ve said. Yes – if good things happen we consider it a blessing from God because we, as Christians, are not promised only good things in this life by God. If bad things happen it isn’t always because of our sin, it could be, but it could be the sin of others that impacts us, Example: I simply trust someone to invest my money and they steal it and I lose my savings. That is their sin that caused this, not mine. Jesus said we will have trials in this life.
I will, however, agree that some Christians or denominations teach exactly what you have stated and with them I take great issue because it just isn’t the truth.
So, that’s like someone being PTS to you. Just like in Scientology, you’re punished for someone else’s behavior by proximity. You did nothing wrong and you still lose your money. If Miscavige lets that happen, he’s kind of an asshole. If Yaweh does, he’s “mysterious.” Nah, he’d be an asshole too.
Good to know that as a Christian you take issue with that kind of false date,Just Hummin’. I’m serious. Its good to know.
Wrong. You don’t understand Christianity and you’re simply speaking from your own biasis.
That is exactly right, Jethro.
My evangelical relatives say this ALLthe time, i.e., ALL good comes from Jesus Christ.
To illustrate:
If you do something good, that’s NOT you. That’s Jesus. Or God.. Its only because you have opened yourself to being a Vessel of The Lord. That’s Jesus or God doing that good thing, using thru you.
On the other hand, if you do something BAD, well, that’s YOU. 🙂
Luckily, they don’t live nearby or I’d never be able to contain.
I should stop posting here until I get a new eye exam. I can’t keep apologizing for all my typos. Never mind my boring you, I’m boring myself 🙂
Beautifully written and spot on as usual.
I am currently watching the series on A&E with yourself & Leah. I am so fascinated with the fact that intelligent people can get “sucked” into this cult. But I now realize that any one of us, depending on our vulnerability at any given time in our lives, could be talked into anything. Religion or cult. They both use a persons weakness to get them to join. Thanks to you and the others for having the courage to open up to the world at such a high cost to yourselves. Cheryl B.
Cheryl, I’ve come to learn that the cult exploits an individual’s “hopefulness”, as well.
Good one. My “favorite part” about your article is when you point out that the church “WANTS” those who leave to fail. Evil Intentions of the pre clear are circled in red on the worksheets. This whole church could be circled in red.
If this church were ACTUALLY spiritual in nature, its PR wouldn’t stink to high heaven and it’s name wouldn’t be so toxic. It created this perception of itself all on its own; others have been exposing it (for a very long time) and its stink is finally starting to permeate the public at large.
yes.
and we know that anyone who leaves and is later sick or dies of cancer “proves” that they were out ethics – PTS SP etc. But those who are IN who get sick and die were victims of an SP. (and also must have been out ethics and PTS)
“Evil Intentions of the pre clear are circled in red on the worksheets. This whole church could be circled in red.”
Got me with that one.
You have your group engrams and then you have your group service facsimiles and your group overts and group withholds too.
Phew…what a mess. That group needs a real confessional/sec check.
Yes but scientologists absolve themselves of any culpability because “I’m sorry; I just didn’t know.” (Viktor Frankl wrote in his book Man’s Search For Meaning that was the response he got from his German neighbors when he returned to his village after his Liberation from a concentration camp.)
My son told his father that he wished him “no ill will” after he disconnected from him. Does that absolve my son from the pain his father or his brother or I suffer from the loss of him in our lives or from the human rights violations going on because he turned a blind eye and remains willfully ignorant? The transgressions and evil intentions are deeply buried.
He wished his father “no ill will” when he said he’d never see or talk to him again. Well, isn’t that special. Give that boy a lollipop. Unbelievable; I’m so sorry, Mary Kahn.
Mary : your son disconnecting from his father is ill will. The cults package these requirements up real pretty while a subliminal, ‘we are your real family now,’ is part of the indoctrination. The participants believe that something like disconnecting will make them spiritually powerful, master of their universe etc. because they are following group protocol and removing barriers. Everyone in the cult does it so it must be ok. We all know cults have their own agendas for everything they implement. I am sorry this nasty crap has happened within your family.
“This whole church could be circled in red.” If the cherch were a preclear he/she/ it would be declared a suppressive person.
Morning mike…right on…would love 2 c what job dm could possibly get – perhaps dictators are needed somewhere – though his short statue & elementary level schooling might disqualify him lol keep on truckin…
Unfortunateley, most “religions” put out there that if you do as their God supposedly says or does, you’ll have success and prosperity in all your life’s ambitions. If you don’t, failure and damnation is your present and future.
If Leah is a “failed actress” with only TWO sitcoms to her name — where she was the headliner, and an original show named after her which has drawn in incredible viewing numbers with her name-power.
Kirsty Alley’s ONE show didn’t even have her as a headliner; she was just one of the ensemble of “Cheers”, not even a major character. HER headline show was “Fat Actress”, a thoroughly forgettable flop that only had 7 episodes that didn’t AFAIK,find an excuse to even mention $CN . Yet Krusty is SCN’s big celebrity (AS LONG as she toes the party line — or is that “Tows the line”, paying in her 1000s of dollars for Slappy’s inurement?)
I can’t think of a more boring “entertainer” than Krusty. She should devote her time and energies to ending the abuses against wild animals, circus animals and pets. I’ve read her website and she’s passionate about how this bothers her. Instead of blabbing endlessly about her weight, whether up or down, and blabbing on like a none too bright 13 year old about how she’d like to go on a date – instead of passing off her potty mouth as humor, she should follow her passion and take up causes for animals, because its obvious that she likes and cares about them. Maybe if she’d do something useful she’d even be able to stop diet binging, and just be a wealthy, happy, relaxed older woman. She might even get herself a date. My 2 cents, anyway.
Did anyone read Kirsty Ali’s Twitter yesterday about scientology and psychotropic medications and how all of this affected the Las Vegas shooting? It was utterly disgusting. Mike I’d be very interested in getting your feedback on that particular subject
Isn’t it amazing how Kirstie pontificates about the harmful effects of “psych drugs” (something she has a VERY limited understand) and yet CHOOSES to remain willfully ignorant about the physical assaults, false imprisonments, sleep deprivations, other human rights violations, as well as the breaking apart of families and friendships without a blink of her closed eyes.
Right on, Mary. She has been anesthesized and is emotionally vacant. Ego will keep her from admitting she was wrong.
Yes, and what an utterly idiotic statement.
First off, drugs have been in mass use since before the 80s. Remember Vietnam War that began in like the 50s and ended in the 70s? PBS aired Ken Burns series on the War and is still showing episodes that detailed use of drugs (Mary Jane and Heroin) in the Vietnam War during one episode. I watched a scene of soldiers making their rifle into a bong.
Of course, she could mean presciption, but honestly…
Second and last, she states this before a proper investigation has occurred. Way to jump the gun, Alley.
Spray the witless bullets within the confines of one’s own mind, thank you.
Though I am curious and I direct this to any former members:
Where is the line drawn for medical treatment regarding drugs? If a member has syphilis, do you use tech, vitamins, and whatever else Scientology-based or are you allowed to take penicillin (mass production in 1940s, I believe) for treatment?
Great article Mike… this could be carved on their tombstone: they were “wiped out entirely because they were such menacing, antagonistic and rabid vermin.”
It is terribly important for ex-Scientologists to be seen to fail so the membership can be sold on the idea that the only real success is found within Scientology’s hallowed halls. But if you take ex-Sea Org members as just one example, they *really* know how to work hard for a living; they are used to brutal hours and tight deadlines and this makes them first class employees in the wider world. Ditto staff, many of whom hold down full-time jobs in the real world as well as serving full-time hours in their local orgs and missions. Hard work does not scare these people and they have every chance of thriving once they leave. (I realise that this only touches on the ability to work but this isn’t a post about peoples emotional and psychological needs.)
So true. Except it appears that many leave and somehow don’t fail. So inconvenient for the cult.
One of your more pithy posts, Mike, not that they aren’t all pretty powerful. I especially liked the way you mowed down so many of scio’s EX stars and pointed out how many years so many of these people have failed in their careers. I wonder if Cruise ever considers that there are likely a great many people who now actively postulate his failure?
Years ago, I wrote Cruise a fan letter due to his performance in Rain Man as the frenetic and shattered brother and how he was the perfect foil to Dustin Hoffman’s character. My opinion of his talent dramatically altered after his couch jumping “performance” on Oprah’s show when I realized that in Rain Man, he had NOT been acting! That’s who he really was and is! He’s as divorced from the ability to love and humanly connect to others as Miscavige is. Now wonder they’re such an unholy pair!
Sad but true. I look forward to the day when cruise wakes up and leaves. He will be able to grow again. I wish that for him. It’s a wonderful feeling.
“He had not been acting”. I lost interest in his movies after Jerry McGuire because he just doesn’t have the range he needs to be good, imo. Contrast him with some straight males playing gay roles (hope that’s pc!). I mean whoda thought Grace and Frankie would ever BE, let alone with those male leads. Those guys are actors.
Still, when seeing bits of Cruise movies, the wooden delivery, the sarcastic demeanor that I perceive, this paraphrase always pops in my head. Does art imitate life, or does life….
Tom Cruise found his niche as an action adventure hero and stayed there. I don’t think he’s a good actor but he’s OK in that genre. Clint Eastwood was also mostly a passable action adventure hero. As an actor he had his limittations, I’d say. But then, he had a brain, and when he got older he had the presence of mind to start directing. He didn’t go the facelifts and corsets route so that he could stay in the same roles forever. He’s directed some outstanding films. But then, again, he had vision, and a brain. He wasn’t just a handsome face.
Of course, I really don’t like him, and never did from the beginning, but then, I still wonder what it is that plenty of people see in Tom Cruise. There must be something, obviously, but I don’t get it.
There’s no accounting for taste is there? I still luvluvluv Tommy Lee Jones, that Space Cowboy. I also thought Rev Billy Graham was a fine man, honorable and impassioned. Go figger!
True. But Tommy Lee Jones, he’s another story. I like him as an actor, yes. Billy Graham, well…
If you’re not succeeding with the “proven” tech of Scientology, you clearly have a stuck flow. Certainly nothing a CoS Prosperity Seminar and a game of pass the pen can’t cure!