The weekly show where I answer questions from viewers that they have left me in the comments section of my Q&A videos or send to me by email at AskChrisShelton@gmail.com. This week the questions I answer are:
(1) When the Going Clear documentary was making big waves in the news and film industries, I noticed a few Independent Scientologists on social media and chat sites had voiced complaints about their viewpoints not being included in the dialog. When Leah Remini’s show made similar waves, those same voices seemed to grow in numbers and became extremely agitated towards the series. By the end of the show they were downright antagonistic and hateful towards Leah and her prominent co-stars. Now, with the recent CNN Believer show about Scientology, the push back against former members speaking out from other former members or independent practitioners has gone beyond nasty and seems downright nuts. What triggered all this ugly drama? Do some ex-members and independents really want to protect and defend their former church from being exposed as an abusive cult – or is something else going on?
(2) Hi Chris, I’m a huge fan of yours from the very beginning.
It’s a well known fact that the church of Scientology is vehemently opposed to psychiatry and pharmaceuticals. It’s also known that Bob Duggan is one of its billionaire supporters, giving huge donations. Mr. Duggan’s wealth comes from his Pharmacyclics company & the discovery of a DRUG to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
First question: why would a Scientologist work to discover a cure for cancer-of any type-since according to Hubbard’s scripture, cancer is caused by a second dynamic or sexual upset? Obviously, cancer can ONLY be cured by the practice of Scientology.
Second: How is it that the church justifies & ‘accepts’ the gigantic donations given to them with money made from the enemy? Do they think it’s a secret? Seems like competing forces.
(3) I’m fascinated that people can be so controlled that they “voluntarily” participate in the RPF. I’ve been doing some of my own research online and discovered there’s an “RPF’s RPF.” Yikes! Stories of malnourishment, illness, no medical care, no sleep, fighting rats and cockroaches….all even worse than the actual RPF. Did you ever have to do the “RPF’s RPF” or witness any of these human rights abuses beyond regular RPF activities?
(4) Chris, continued thanks for your mission of spreading knowledge and seeking truth. My question is about international Sea Org members. I know the Sea Org’s current recruitment comes mainly from Venezuela and rural Russia. Are these recruits believers to any degree, or are they simply latching on to the opportunity to work for an “American church,” with the hopes of starting a better life in the USA? In your Shane Weightman series, he described the near impossibility of getting his passport back–how do any of the SO from these countries ever leave since their passports are confiscated, and they’re in international waters, on a ship? Since many of the SO’s policies and punishments make little sense to native born Americans outside the organization, what do these international recruits make of these abusive and nonsensical tactics? I can’t imagine the governments of either Russia or Venezuela taking a personal interest in recovering this small number of citizens, so what recourse do families have to get their international SO family member back home??
(5) I have watched some of Phil Spickler’s YouTube videos. As you know, he is Mimi Rogers’ father, Tom Cruise’s ex-father in law, and knew LRH from 1950 to when he left the church in 1980. He has said that LRH was very innovative given that he was experimenting with self help for the masses in the 1950s, after WW2, which such a thing was completely new. Spickler says he treasures his time from 1950 – 1962 or so, when there was real work and innovation going on. After that, LRH went off the rails completely. Unfortunately he hasn’t explained how this transformation came about. What do you think about this?
(6) I’ve heard that in the past, it was fashionable among higher-up members of the Sea Org to imitate LRH by smoking. Is this true? If so, what, if any, was the reasoning behind the inability or unwillingness to stop smoking (clearly an addictive behavior) among the brass, including LRH?
(7) How many members does Scientology need to survive? Could they operate with as few as 10,000 people? More/less? Thoughts and opinions? Thanks in Advance.
(8) Do you think David Miscavige can be helped? He seems like he is probably a narcissistic sociopath with a bent towards OCD and paranoia, as defined by the current DSM guidelines and the comments of others on his behaviors. Do you think his childhood was more abusive than his father allows in his bio of his son? Or perhaps this behavior and way of seeing the world is biologically hard wired in him and completely unalterable? If he is as others describe him, he must be a miserably unhappy person. Is there any chance he could change, get better, become aware of this, or is this so concrete, so core to his personality that he will just live and die this way?
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Chris, when you were Course Supervisor, were there many new members taking classes? If not, how did you personally square that with the alleged millions of Scientologists and incredible growth/expansion?
Hi Chris listened to all 102 read your book movie reviews did basics and congresses dropped out of recent students hat course too much hard sell etc now am going through acc’s and it’s a possible reality of a peaceful sane world admit it at lease as could be ty ron😊