The show where I answer your questions. Please leave any comments or feedback in the comments section here below. I see everything and want to hear from you, If you can’t or don’t want to comment here but have a question you would like to ask me, you can also email me at [email protected].

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Questions asked this weeK: 

(1) I have a question about Scientology “buzzwords” and how they are used as a PR strategy — especially by celebrities in Scientology. The first is the word bigot. When John Sweeney was investigating Scientology, Tommy Davis kept calling him a bigot over and over again. He sounded like a broken record. When Leah Remini left Scientology, Kirstie Alley went on the
Howard Stern Show and said she no longer associates with Remini, not because she left, but because she’s a bigot for criticizing Scientology. If there’s a news report featuring an ex-Scientologist, the news broadcasters have to read parts of these long rebuttals which almost always accuse the critic of being a bigot. It’s as if they intentionally say this word over and over again to suggest that any person who looks at Scientology critically or questions its intentions is
actually a bigot. And decent people should despise bigots, right?

The other buzzword is religion. When I think about it, most people don’t usually refer to their faith, whatever it may be, as their “religion.” They might say “my faith” or “my belief system,” but not necessarily “my religion.” Yet, Tom Cruise always speaks of Scientology by saying “my religion.” Tommy Davis accused Sweeney of being a bigot by attacking “his religion.”

I guess I’m just wondering if the constant use of these words as a defense mechanism is some sort of tactic or PR strategy for getting the public, especially those who don’t really know (or care) much about Scientology, to assume that anyone who comments negatively about the “church” of Scientology is a bigot who also hates religion. If you have any insight, I’d love to hear it. Thanks!

(2) Hey Chris, love the videos. I understand that symbols and icons are used by cults (and many other organizations for that matter) to help the member identify him or herself with the organization they belong to. Either it be the military, church, or Scientology symbols and icons can describe so much about that organization without saying a word. So here’s my question, what does the odd looking cross and the triangles mean? Is the intended effect of the cross used as a way to give the impression to non-Scientology members a feeling that the organization is benign and Christian oriented?

(3) Hi Chris. Love your videos. I’m currently expecting my second baby and was curious about Scientology births. I’ve heard that they are to be silent but (given Scientology’s views on pharmacology) do women go medication free as well? Do touch assists play a role? Just curious! Thanks!

(4) Hi Chris, thank you so much for the amazing videos, the info you have given us is something we would probably never have ever heard about (living across the pond over here in Ireland). There is a Scientology office here. About 20 years ago me and a couple of my friends went in purely to have a bit of a laugh with them, we never really had any big interest in signing up.
My question though is us (Ireland) being a small nation and having a very diverse beliefs on religion/life in general, and that the very same Scientology office has completely shrunk to a miniscule room, has Scientology really an interest in the smaller countries like ourselves or is it really just taking a bullet for the cause to show a presence over here and stand firm with the organization?

(5) Hi Chris, Thank you so much for these videos. I wonder, if you don’t mind saying, do you feel anything inside yourself when you say that you’ve been declared? Does it still feel shameful inside, even though in your logical, enlightened self, you know that the problem is with the “Church” and it’s only because you are a GOOD person that you were declared? I thought to ask when you mentioned in this video that you’d been declared. Thanks again. I hope many people are staying away or getting out of Scientology because of you.

(6) Are we all capable of being taken in by snake oil salesmen? I wonder if that is entirely true. Stanley Milgram’s behavioural therapy hoax experiments in the early 1960s seemed to show that about 70% of us don’t want to cause trouble and will basically do what we are told. We bow to the group dynamic, we go with the flow, even if we don’t like it. However, the other 30% of us are unreformed stubborn sceptics apparently. So, I am afraid I disagree. There are an awful
lot of independent free-thinkers out there, graduates of The School of Hard Knocks and The University of Life who apply a common sense approach of most all things and sic their dogs on any snake oil salesperson who is unfortunate enough to knock on their front doors. Having said all that, I am beyond doubt the most gullible fool on the planet.

(7) Did you happen to see the video that Tony Ortega posted on his blog (the one with Jenna Elfman and her husband)? Considering the content in that video, do you think they will be in “trouble” with the church or do you think that was planned by David Miscavige to show that Scientologists are just normal people?