The weekly show where I answer viewer questions left in the comments section of my Critical Q&A videos or sent to me by email at AskChrisShelton@gmail.com. This week, the questions we take up are:
(1) Ex-Scientologist here. I have a bit of a tin-foil hat theory that I would like to share. During my time as a Scientologist, I never made it to any advanced lectures like the Congresses, but from what I have studied it seems like there are dozens of examples of missing audio scattered throughout many of his lectures. Do you think that there might have been an intentional purge of what the Church believes to be unfavorable statements or opinions from these lectures? It feels like a stretch to be honest, since I’m sure in reality it was probably just cheap equipment. What do you think? Do you have any examples, perhaps even entire books and lectures that the Church is trying to make everyone forget about? Thanks for indulging me!
(2) Could you describe how it is in the Sea Org when you get older? Is there retirement? Or a pension plan? Or a reduced work program? Is there a Sea Org cemetery? Burial at sea? Are these expenses paid for? Perhaps these issues have changed over the decades since the start of the Sea Org. Can you comment on any changes with these topics over the years?
(3) In the infamous Steven Fishman deposition video, Fishman talks about being told by his auditor, as a part of his “whole-track handling,” to seek out a woman who had poisoned him in a previous life. Confronting her “reduced the charge” of the incident. I know Fishman was an expert con-man and was just pretending to be a Scientologist. However, I wonder if auditors ever actually tell preclears, as a part of their processing, to seek out people, objects or places they think they knew in a previous life. I know Hubbard allegedly believed he had buried treasures in Mediterranean locations in his previous lives and was now trying to find them. Was he serious, or was he just trying to impress his followers?
(4) What is Scientology’s viewpoint on karma? Did Hubbard come up with his slant on it? Is it taught in one of the levels and do they believe it?
(5) How much of Scientology ideology is hidden in movies (besides Battlefield Earth, which is obviously 100% Hubbard)? I mean other movies with let’s say Tom Cruise? Since you are a movie buff and former Scientologist you might spot ideology or other things hidden in movies taken from Scientology which the actors or writers packaged or placed in movies. I heard also some of Will Smith movies have some Scientology ideas hidden in them.
(6) Will the IRS revoke tax exemption — yes or no?
(7) Are the Seventh Day Adventist a cult?
(8) I am Jewish and am often called paranoid by my friends, but I get suspicious when I observe things that I think might be anti-Semitic references. I am referring to the two main Scientology symbols: the “eight-pointed cross” and the “S” with the two triangles. Subliminally, and perhaps not so subliminally, I look at the “eight-pointed cross” and see a Christian crucifix with an “X” over the top of it. Do you think that LRH’s “eight dynamics” (which this cross is meant to symbolize) was an invented narrative that came after his symbol was created (or copied from Alistair Crowley) as a very private joke for himself? In other words, could this be a way for him to symbolize a negation of Christianity? I have heard LRH make comments that show that he did not like Jesus or Christianity, but do you think this was an outward, but purposely unexplained, expression of that hatred? Could this symbol be a subliminal way for him to nullify a Scientologist’s belief in Christianity?
Perhaps this next question shows where my Jewish paranoia really kicks in. When I look at the other common symbol that Scientology uses — the “S” with the two triangles, I see a Star of David that has been taken apart, with a snake crawling through it. I have always thought that the font that is used for the word “Scientology” had a very sinister element to it, but I wonder if it was chosen so that the initial “S” looked like a creepy snake — subliminally, if not consciously. The reason why this could be important is that many anti-Semitic writers and commentators have referred to Jews collectively as a snake, with the head being the allegedly evil Rabbis and Zionists who desire to take over the world, and the body of the snake being the rest of the Jewish population. The dismantling of the Star of David into two plain triangles could be LRH’s secret desire for Scientology to wrest this fictitious control from the Jewish people and their supposedly evil conspiracy. So I am wondering: Did you ever hear or read any anti-Semitic comments from LRH? If you can comment on any of this, I would be very interested.
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It took me aback your comment about LRH hunting for treasures that he buried in past lives. In the LDS/Joseph Smith historical accounts that before Joseph had his vision, he was also a treasure hunter. No accounts of being successful, just like LRH. Anny comments?
1) I always liked the book, “How To Live Though An Executive”, another one of the “disappearing” books.
2) In 2014 when I was still at Big Blue, some elderly Sea Org Members were being sent to an existing assisted living facility in Glendale, CA. But I have no data as to what happened to them after that.