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 take up are:
(1) What would happen if Scientology, with all of their buildings and members, decided all of a sudden to do only good things? Say for instance, David Miscavige gets attacked by a pack of wild dingoes and is no longer able to manage Scientology because they ate his face off (John Travolta reference). One of the management members steps up and takes over, turning Scientology into an actual organization that dedicates its buildings to local programs and keeping kids off the streets; opens a food bank; opens some of the berthing to homeless; let’s the children in some of these rural areas, vacation to some of the wonderful places that Scientology has property; or take some of the money that they have stored away and spend it on charitable causes or help with natural disasters in a way that is obvious and real. Maybe even let some of the Sea Org members play tennis on the tennis courts or swim in the pools. Pay the Sea Org members a minimum wage. Cut out the disconnection policy. What I’m trying to say is, what if Scientology decides to actually go legit? Too legit? Too legit to quit? They have the money, they have the property, they have the people who want and need to do a good thing for society. Let’s face it, everybody I’ve heard asked what was the draw, then they get out of Scientology, says the reason they stayed is because they thought they were doing good for the world. Do you think that’s a possibility? If Scientology goes away, it seems like such a waste. People that are involved want to help humanity. It just seems to me, and I’m just a lonely old wog, it would be a reasonable transition.
(2) I just saw a video with you in a very fancy Sea Org uniform with lots of medals, and I gotta say I got a good chuckle out of it. I always do when I see those uniforms. Are SO members embarrassed to wear those in public? Were you? It strikes me almost like playing dress-up.
(3) When you were still in the group (or even now) how difficult was it to tell through the way a person talked and their conduct what level of the Bridge they were on? Could you pick a Class VA auditor from a Class III, a Clear from and OT II or was it something you could only know through bracelets or literally being told?
(4) If a Scientologist were to leave one area to get services in another area at lower costs (let’s say due to money exchange rates), do they receive any type of talking to, retribution, pressure or the like for that? If so, will reges or other people try and “recoup” or sell them more services because they may have saved money? Could this calculated monetary saving measure be viewed not only negatively, but result in any ethics actions?
(5) What are your thoughts on Scientology outing names of Scientologists that write critical articles about Scientology anonymously or with pseudonyms, as they did with Jeremy Gold writing as Terra Cognita on Mike Rinder’s blog? This happened in court documents as part of the IJC’s statement of why he wasn’t a member “in good standing” to qualify as an arbiter in the Garcia case. By the way, Jeremy is mentioned as having worked at the Santa Barbara Org and his Scientology course completions go back to 1990. Did you work with him and do you like his articles?
(6) Among Independent Scientologists, what has been the reception of documentaries and TV series that have exposed the abuses of Scientology and the Church of Scientology, such as Going Clear and Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath? I am interested to know whether Independent Scientologists are sometimes uncomfortable with the criticisms made of L Ron Hubbard and Scientological beliefs, as opposed to criticisms simply made of the practices of the current Church of Scientology under the leadership of David Miscavige. Going Clear went into great detail on LRH’s very questionable background, and the second season of Leah Remini’s show demonstrated how some Scientological beliefs, by their very nature, lead to abusive practices. Are you aware of any examples? All I know is that two Independent Scientologists did appear on Leah’s show, but I remember reading on Tony Ortega’s blog that Marty Rathbun, still then an Independent Scientologist, was unhappy with some of the commentary in Going Clear on Hubbard.
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Hi Chris
First of all many thanks for reading out my question in your recent Q&A…..that made my day. I now have anther topic I have wanted to ask you for some time now regarding the LRH death announcement at The Paladium in Los Angeles as I was reading an article published by Jeffrey Augustine & Jesse Prince which prompted me to write to you.
To set the scene, this entire encounter takes place in a motorhome in Creston California which is the home of LRH. Apparently from what I’ve read at the time of his stroke he was taking regular shots of the physciatric drug Visterill administered to him by his doctor Gene Denk (LRH was the man that proclaimed that psychiatrists & psychiatry were so evil that he attributed responsibility to the Hollocaust amongst other things) and was clearly suffering from acute mental illness extreme paranoia and he resembled Howard Hughes with an unkempt appearance, rotten teeth and long fingernails and hair. In short he was a sad lonely insane old man who despite all of the powers he purportedly had available and who could save mankind, yet he was unable to apply this to save himself. So, surely the man who had discovered these incredible abilities would, one would think merely change this sad and pathetic end and simply not died.
Here was the man who had purported to have discovered the secrets of the human mind yet was unable to save himself and leave his body at will as in exterioriation. let’s not forget this is also the same man who recounted countless times how he traveled the galaxy and at one point was surprised at how warm it actually was on the van Alan star belt in space and may other ridiculous stories of past lives and swashbuckling adventures from different galaxies from billions of years ago……is it just me or does this all sound remarkably like more sci if novels.
Anyway so we are now presented with an awful problem for Scientology. The leader was now dead. At the end of his life he was cared for by a very small circle of trusted followers….The Broekers, Sarge and maybe one or two others.
Despite what David Miscavage may want us to believe, he had little to no direct connection to LRH at the end of his life as I don’t believe LRH trusted him…..So what to do……..how could this powerful thetan just die in such a sad and pathetic way.
Earl Cooley his attorney, David Miscavage and his loyal officers the Broekers and a man named Sarge who were witnesses to this scene must have met and possibly with DM to let the world know what had happened.
What to do that was the question. Presumably it would be disastrous to announce that their spiritual leader who had discovered the meaning of life I just died and that’s that had they said that I’m sure people would run for the doors and an exodus of Scientology would begin but no they were totally complicit in perpetrating an enormous untruth. It is now abundantly clear to me and to many others that at this juncture they were all complicit in creating a story that defies logic as if they had told the truth would the Kool Aid drinking True Believers begin to think that they had all been part of the most unbelievable con ever perpetrated on the world.
For those present to agree to tell that story they must had known at this point that none of Scientology was real or this would not have played out the way it did……..look at the facts.
Earl Cooley starts his speech by referring to LTH as “this mighty Thetan of sound mind and body”……REALLY !!!!! Nothing could be further from the truth….He KNEW he was lying….he must have…..then Miscavage steps up and trumps Cooley with and even more preposterous claim that LRH planned this entire escapade and found that living on earth in a human body was in some way impeding his ability to pursue further the yet to be revealed incredible knowledge yet to be announced to the world so he shed this mortal coil to work elsewhere on the upper OT levels which by the way have never seen the light of day…….I wonder why 🙂
As LRH never let his close knit circle know this was the plan, they just created a bald faced lie and this is the part I find the most baffling. One would think that the 2000 or so people listening to this would make a mad dash for the exits. Cooley and Miscavage must have realized that had the truth been know the money tap might have been shut off there and then so just make up any old story and keep the con going.
I don’t know if you were in the audience Chris or if you have spoken to people who were but did they all swallow this hook line & sinker ???? I suppose clearly they did as Scientology still exists s to this day but those on that stage knew they were not telling they truth so therefore they by association must agree that this was all a massive con….what other explanation is there.
I sometimes write to Karen De Le Carrier and will ask this of her as well as like you I admire the work that she and Jeffrey do immensely.
Anyway, I would be fascinated to hear your opinions on this mind boggling episode in the history of Scientology.
Thank you for all you do and the tireless way in which you do everything you can to expose this evil and corrupt cult.
Yours Sincerely,
Steve.