Scientology

[divits]

I've been watching the Leah Remini show on A&E and find it fascinating. I also had seen "Going Clear" on HBO.

Without getting too much into religion and people's beliefs, I'm always amazed at how some people allow themselves to suspend all critical thinking and blindly follow cults. I can understand those raised in them who are brainwashed from the start, but people who actively seek out cults and then expose their kids to them make me ill.

http://thefederalist.com/2017/01/05/i-visited-the-church-of-scientology-here-is-what-happened/

"None of the three church employees whom I spoke with at length had an education beyond high school. Our two tour guides both started working for the church at 17 years old and have no other professional experience outside of the church.

All came to the church with low self-esteem and a lack of necessary social skills. The church, its courses, and its auditing sessions gave them the confidence they so desperately lacked, they said. The church’s recruitment methods all seemed to be directed at finding a specific kind of person: someone who was vulnerable, overwhelmed by his or her shortcomings, someone who had poor communication skills, who lacked confidence, and was desperate for help."

 

[ChiefGator]

I've been watching the Leah Remini show on A&E and find it fascinating. I also had seen "Going Clear" on HBO.

Without getting too much into religion and people's beliefs, I'm always amazed at how some people allow themselves to suspend all critical thinking and blindly follow cults. I can understand those raised in them who are brainwashed from the start, but people who actively seek out cults and then expose their kids to them make me ill.

http://thefederalist.com/2017/01/05/i-visited-the-church-of-scientology-here-is-what-happened/

"None of the three church employees whom I spoke with at length had an education beyond high school. Our two tour guides both started working for the church at 17 years old and have no other professional experience outside of the church.

All came to the church with low self-esteem and a lack of necessary social skills. The church, its courses, and its auditing sessions gave them the confidence they so desperately lacked, they said. The church’s recruitment methods all seemed to be directed at finding a specific kind of person: someone who was vulnerable, overwhelmed by his or her shortcomings, someone who had poor communication skills, who lacked confidence, and was desperate for help."

I don't support this church, but you can interpret this in different ways. One is that they are basically a cult looking for low hanging fruit to harvest, this might be correct. Or that they are looking for people who need help and their process would be an effective way to help.

How do you reconcile those wealthy and smart Hollywood folks who are members?

 

[NavetG8r]

How do you reconcile those wealthy and smart Hollywood folks who are members?

Not all the wealthy are smart. Many, many, many were simply very lucky. As with any profession dealing in the arts, luck and connections play a major role in your likely success. I've known many, many, many starving artists with WAY more talent than others who are filthy rich. Simple!

 

[ChiefGator]

Not all the wealthy are smart. Many, many, many were simply very lucky. As with any profession dealing in the arts, luck and connections play a major role in your likely success. I've known many, many, many starving artists with WAY more talent than others who are filthy rich. Simple!

I was actually thinking of a few specific people who do appear to have at least half a brain. See the article for a list. And the original post had young and not successful as their targets.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology_and_celebrities

Hubbard wrote a lot of good SF and other things, this dopey thing took up all his time preventing more writing, so I was not happy with it or him.

 

[GatorBart]

Catherine Bell? Still appreciate her.
Beck? Still appreciate his music.
The rest are eccentrics I don't care about.

 

[divits]

I don't support this church, but you can interpret this in different ways. One is that they are basically a cult looking for low hanging fruit to harvest, this might be correct. Or that they are looking for people who need help and their process would be an effective way to help.

How do you reconcile those wealthy and smart Hollywood folks who are members?

First, I question your premise that folks in Hollywood are that smart. That said, Scientology is the perfect religion for narcissistic Hollywood types. Basically, you are your own god and you can reach ultimate enlightenment after decades of giving your time and money(to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars) to Scientology. And many otherwise intelligent people who are lacking in self esteem or have a lot of guilt related to something that's happened in their lives have fallen for cults.

Whatever its stated altruistic goal, Scientology has a history of purposely breaking up families, coercing abortions, kidnapping and assaults. Their compounds are set up to keep people in with a cadre of security personnel and a large contingent of private investigators on the payroll.

If you don't know much about them there is a plethora of information out there.

http://www.tampabay.com/topics/specials/scientology.page

http://www.lermanet.com/scientologynews/sptimes/spt-series-index.htm

 

[ChiefGator]

Perhaps I was not clear I saw specifically questioning the following:

"None of the three church employees whom I spoke with at length had an education beyond high school. Our two tour guides both started working for the church at 17 years old and have no other professional experience outside of the church.

All came to the church with low self-esteem and a lack of necessary social skills. The church, its courses, and its auditing sessions gave them the confidence they so desperately lacked, they said. The church’s recruitment methods all seemed to be directed at finding a specific kind of person: someone who was vulnerable, overwhelmed by his or her shortcomings, someone who had poor communication skills, who lacked confidence, and was desperate for help."

The people on the list are not representative of those traits, yet they too are members. So apparently it is not just a sham for uneducated and ignorant youth.

Now remember I don't support the organization and suspect it is a cult, but it is not just for uneducated youth. It might also be considered to do some good for some people.

 

[78]

It's a perfectly wonderful religion if you can overlook the torture, the murder, the lies and the tax scam that is the Church of Scientology.

These sheeple ruined downtown Clearwater. The sooner they GTFO, the better.

 

[URGatorBait]

I watched that 20/20 special on it tonight. What a bunch of fckin loons, and that overpaid buffoon of a lawyer they have was terrible, worst lawyer speak I've ever heard lol.

I didn't know Remini was doing another show, I thought she only had the reality show with her family.

 

[URGatorBait]

It's a perfectly wonderful religion if you can overlook the torture, the murder, the lies and the tax scam that is the Church of Scientology.

These sheeple ruined downtown Clearwater. The sooner they GTFO, the better.

My aunt lives not very far from that Flag building, other side of 60, and she was complaining about them at christmas this year, basically reflecting what you are saying.

 

[Captain Sasquatch]

Those people are certifiable, and that's putting it lightly.

 

[GatorBart]

It's a perfectly wonderful religion if you can overlook the torture, the murder, the lies and the tax scam that is the Church of Scientology.

These sheeple ruined downtown Clearwater. The sooner they GTFO, the better.

Used to drive by there all the time heading to the beach from my Mom's house in Dunedin and eat at the Perogi Grill just east of their 'complex'.

 

[gingerlover]

The celebrities are used simply for publicity and funding and people like Tom Cruise aren't going to through the same crap lower level people do. Remi was given a bunch of crap because she started asking to many questions. Like most celebrities they are kept in their own bubble where everything is fine for everyone. I remember reading a interview with Scarlet Johanson years ago were she was going to be in a movie with Tom Cruise. He invited her into his trailer and he and some other guys started giving her the sales pitch. Said she was so creeped out she didn't do the movie. That being said they have provided us some of the better South Park episodes.

 

[ThreatMatrix]

I've been watching the show also and it is interesting just because of the secrecy that surrounded them for years. Basically Scientology is a self help pyramid scheme with some new age mysticism thrown in. LRH stating that he could create a "religion" and then lawyering up and getting tax free status for his get rich quick scheme is as impressive as it is mind-boggling.
As far as sucking people in, Remini admitted to still believing in the altruistic, even if false, goals of Scientology of making the world a better place using their special "tech". Interestingly, she blew off the DC8/Volcano/Xenu part of Scientology which appears not to be emphasized anymore.
Scientology promise enlightenment by progressing through a series of courses at an estimated cost of $250,000 - $350,000. When Scientology needs more money it adds new classes, or revamps old ones. In the past they were able to keep secret what each level was about therefor sucking devotees in to pay for the next level. Like playing a video game except that you have to pay each time you want to level up. But because of the internet Scientology has been in decline as people see behind the curtain.
One of the things that keep the celebrities locked in is that as they go through these levels they have to admit their "crimes". For Travolta and Cruise its been long rumored that Scientology has them admitting to homosexuality. Celebrities can't back out once they're in because they don't want their careers damaged.
If you are wondering what the courses are about you can now find them at places like wikileaks. OT VIII is currently the highest level. It requires communicating with animals - instructs candidates to go to a zoo, and communicating with plants - you can do that anywhere and using mental telepathy; go to the mall, watch a person walking towards you, identify what they are not that they are, impose on them what they are that they are not, record results, repeat 5 times. You get the point.

 

[gingerlover]

I've been watching the show also and it is interesting just because of the secrecy that surrounded them for years. Basically Scientology is a self help pyramid scheme with some new age mysticism thrown in. LRH stating that he could create a "religion" and then lawyering up and getting tax free status for his get rich quick scheme is as impressive as it is mind-boggling.
As far as sucking people in, Remini admitted to still believing in the altruistic, even if false, goals of Scientology of making the world a better place using their special "tech". Interestingly, she blew off the DC8/Volcano/Xenu part of Scientology which appears not to be emphasized anymore.
Scientology promise enlightenment by progressing through a series of courses at an estimated cost of $250,000 - $350,000. When Scientology needs more money it adds new classes, or revamps old ones. In the past they were able to keep secret what each level was about therefor sucking devotees in to pay for the next level. Like playing a video game except that you have to pay each time you want to level up. But because of the internet Scientology has been in decline as people see behind the curtain.
One of the things that keep the celebrities locked in is that as they go through these levels they have to admit their "crimes". For Travolta and Cruise its been long rumored that Scientology has them admitting to homosexuality. Celebrities can't back out once they're in because they don't want their careers damaged.
If you are wondering what the courses are about you can now find them at places like wikileaks. OT VIII is currently the highest level. It requires communicating with animals - instructs candidates to go to a zoo, and communicating with plants - you can do that anywhere and using mental telepathy; go to the mall, watch a person walking towards you, identify what they are not that they are, impose on them what they are that they are not, record results, repeat 5 times. You get the point.

In cruises case I thinks he's 100% bought in. They used that to make him the face and one could argue he's second in command. Read the story about them trying to find him a wife by auditioning young actresses for a fictional movie role before Katie Holmes took the bait. I'm with you though as I find the docs exposing them as being very interesting and definitely pulled back the curtain. Two episodes behind right now on the show.

 

[playzwtrux]

I've watched a few of the episodes and here's a couple of things that I've found interesting:

their BILLION year contract for their Sea Org members; which if I see it correctly, is their recruiting division - why would they think it would take a billion years to convert everyone if they've already been as successful as they say that they are (I understand it's a way to lock the members in for life)

the false info at the conventions pumping up the numbers to make themselves look like they are actually making a dent into what they see as the problem. they require their members to attend so many of these conventions each year, or else...

like what has already been stated, I think it was just created as a way for LRH to make money, and enjoy more freedom to do illegal things under the blanket of religious freedom.

 

[Durty South Swamp]

Catherine Bell? Still appreciate her.
Beck? Still appreciate his music.
The rest are eccentrics I don't care about.

LOVE catherine bell

As far as scientology goes, what kind of religion makes you disown and abandon your family members under threat of punishment if they either leave the church or just dont believe? This whole thing is just a huge money-making scam for the top few. A religious pyramid scheme.

 

[divits]

This puny little weasel has one of those really punchable faces.....