Critical Q&A #123

The weekly show where I answer viewer questions left in the comments section of my Q&A videos or sent to me by email at AskChrisShelton@gmail.com. This week, the questions I answer are:

(1) When you began questioning your beliefs in Scientology, I imagine that ended up completely destroying everything in your life that you had built as a Scientologist. Do you have the courage to continue questioning your present beliefs, or are you done questioning things for a while?

(2) Did they have a pomp-and-circumstance type of funeral for L. Ron Hubbard or were they cavalier about his body, thus not giving much ceremony to his death but rather choosing to focus on the idea that he had gone to Target II? How does a Scientologist deal with death? Are they discouraged to mourn because the dead (especially if old) are now moving on to a better situation? How will one know in a future lifetime that they signed a billion year contract if they were in the Sea Org? If they miracuously “would know” somehow, how come there are not those that have died of say some disease in 1972 that are not now saying, “Okay, I’m a different person but I remember I signed a billion year contract in the Sea Org, so here I am again?” And if you didn’t show up to fulfill your billion year contract, would you be in breach of said contract and if so, what and who would enforce the punishment?

(3) Regarding declarations of Suppressive Persons, who exactly has the authority to make the declaration? Does every org have someone who has that authority, or how high up in the church does it need to go? Are there ever acknowledged mistakes in the declarations or, as with so many things, is the church absolutely never wrong about it?

(4) Scientology has its own idiosyncratic video style. In making your own videos have you learnt anything from Scientology videos, or perhaps learnt what not to do from them? Similarly, has L. Ron Hubbard influenced your writing style at all? Having spent so much of your life immersed in his writing I imagine you would be able to immitate his style quite accurately. I’d also be interested to know what authors outside the church have been important to you as a writer.

(5) I have a question as a followup to your answer to the first question in Critical Q&A #122. Do Scientologists think that it is possible for their movement to be defeated? Or do they have some sort of determinism on their side or some guarantee that it will always return via reincarnation if it is somehow destroyed? For example, do they think it is possible that a powerful group of evil wogs could round up and kill all the Scientologists and burn all their books, etc? Could an asteroid destroy Earth before we get a chance to reach the stars and send Scientologist missionaries to other planets? If some such a thing should happen, will the universe have to wait another gazillion years for someone new to discover Scientology? Or would the thetan of LRH or some other OT 8 just reincarnate in a new body, on a new planet if necessary, and carry on the mission? Or are free thetans already doing this?

(6) Leah Remini has said several times that she had to go into the “church” a minimum of 2.5 hours everyday. Since after OT 3 you are self auditing, why would she be going into the “church?” Also, does this apply to all celebrities? I really can’t imagine Tom Cruise doing this, especially with all the movies he makes. Thanks!!!

(7) Hypothetically, if Miscavige is cynically manipulating the Co$ and doesn’t believe an iota of Scn, would he be able to confide in anyone, or would he have to keep it to himself and not even (previously) tell his wife? I would have thought that if he did reveal it to anyone that there would be too much of a risk of them turning SP and spilling the beans. I’m finding it hard to imagine pulling off a con and not getting the satisfaction/release of being able to confide in someone. Or maybe sociopaths don’t feel the need to share their successes and joys in life socially?

(8) I just saw the word engram used in an episode of Star Trek and it was in reference to a painful memory. Weird. What do you make of that?

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