The weekly show where I answer viewer questions left for me in the comment sections of my Q&A videos or sent to me by email to AskChrisShelton@gmail.com. This week, the questions I answer are:
(1) Did you find your Scientology training difficult and have just not chosen to mention that? As a Scientologist, I was a mediocre student and auditor, only ever at the public level, so my experience would clearly be different from yours. How was it for you as a student auditor and in supervisor training? It seems to me to be a shame that such rigorous and skilled attention is given to something that turns out to be a worthless scam! That rigor must be a part of what keeps people involved and believing that there is something worthwhile there. Your comments?
(2) Do you think the reason why Miscavige is not allowing many members to go up The Bridge is that he doesn’t want to expose them to the absurd Xenu story?
(3) If somebody spits out the “Clear Cognition” aren’t they ever suspicious that person has been on the Internet or otherwise getting confidential info? Or is it just always considered legit? Will they test or interrogate you or do they just let you attest to the state of Clear if you say the right words? As cynical as I am I might be thinking this guy is a spy or he cheated, went on the Internet & just wants to take the quick, easy (& cheap) way to Clear. Then again, true believers would have to believe you’d get pneumonia if you read confidential material before you are ready. Isn’t that right? Did I answer my own question? They figure if you aren’t dead or stricken with pneumonia then surely you came up with the cognition on your own, all your motives are pure and you couldn’t have cheated?
(4) Is there anyone currently who is David Miscavige’s “right hand man” in the same way that Miscavige was for LRH, someone who would take over if and when the demise of DM ever happens? Or, is DM too paranoid to have someone so close to him? Do you think if DM was ever arrested that current Scientologists would still consider him the leader as the FLDS do with Warren Jeffs even though he’s incarcerated? Would that make DM a “martyr” like Jeffs and elevate his standing?
(5) What is the point of the harsh conditions for Sea Org members? Is it institutional culture, like it’s always been this way so why change? Is it a cost-saving measure? A control mechanism? Sadism on the parts of LRH and DM? All of those things and more? It seems to me that they would have an easier time recruiting and keeping Sea Org members by making very minor changes. Better food, more time for people in the SO to work their way up the Bridge, better health care, a retirement home for elderly members, etc. Sure, it would cost more but they have the money and it seems like even a marginal investment to the SO budget would have significant dividends in worker production, retention, etc. Hell, that could even be a new fundraising campaign, “Fund the Sea Org Foundation”! As it is, it seems like the Sea Org and its conditions are actually creating many of the church’s most vocal detractors.
(6) Does Scientology restrict photos/videos from being taken in certain buildings or anywhere else? In other words, if photos are allowed to be taken and a Scientologist quits the organization is there a contract stating those photos can not be shared with the public?
(7) What do you know about Scientology in the Netherlands and in Amsterdam? Recently there was a huge opening of a new scientology building and I wondered how big Scientology is in the Netherlands?
(8) A Canadian friend of mine pointed out that they spelled Centre the British way (or the Canadian way), with -re. What’s up with that? Did Hubbard always prefer British spelling? Was it ever the ‘Celebrity Center’ spelled -er?
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