This week, it’s answers about the role cult followers play, how allergies and asthma specifically are “cured” in Scientology, how Sea Org members get hospital care and a lot more. Enjoy!
To send me questions for the show, email them to me at AskChrisShelton@gmail.com. This week, the questions I answer are:
(1) Years ago, I took martial arts classes at a studio where many of the senior black belts revered the studio director with near-religious awe. He was their master, their guru, their swami. They ascribed all sorts of mystical knowledge and spiritual wisdom to him. The irony was, the director seemed to have no desire for such veneration. He did not appear seek it, nor did he appear to exploit it in any way. Frankly, I even wonder how aware he was that a number of his longtime students viewed him in this manner. The need of mega-maniacal cult leaders to acquire followers seems pretty straightforward. But what about the need of would-be followers to enter into guru-disciple relationships? There do seem to be people in the world who have such a need. What role, if any, do you see that playing in cult formation?
(2) You’ve mentioned how Scientology claims mental and physical well being through following its programs. With this in mind, could you please explain how allergies are seen within the Church especially within the Sea Org? I know it’s quite banal but are they looked down upon as a failure to ‘will’ themselves better? Conditions within the bases sound very tough and I couldn’t imagine that there would be too much sympathy or choices for staff members with allergies. Just hoping to get a little insight into the day to day running of the church.
(3) I have heard that the level of involvement with Multi-Level Marketing schemes is extremely high within the Mormon faith. I am wondering how prevalent MLM involvement is within Scientology. I do know the majority of those that get involved with MLMs tend to be women. I am also aware of the fact that women in Scientology do not have the same issues as those in the LDS church as far as their levels of allowed participation within the organization. That being the case, I would not be surprised if the level of MLM involvement in Scientology was comparatively low due to the disparity in the amount of free time females have within those groups.
(4) If Sea Org members don’t have health insurance, how do they handle medical bills if they have to go to the doctor or be hospitalized for an extended period of time? Seeing as medical bills can become very large very fast, it would seem to be a major issue to pay off medical bills with no insurance. After being successfully treated for whatever medical issue the person had, would the Sea Org member be sec checked for having withholds that caused thier extended illness? Or what if somehow they had been put under psychiatric observation or suicide watch unbeknownst to Scientology and the Church finds out after the fact? Would the person be declared a suppressive person or thrown into “The Hole”?
(5) I saw a video of Miscavige on Ted Koppel’s Nightline show in 1992. As a guy who was in, did you watch it? And did you (and everyone else) think at the time that COB “knocked it out of the park” and “defeated” Koppel? The main thing I got out of it (after all of my exposure to Scientology critics) is that his really poor education was on full display. It was a disgrace. Koppel maneuvered him into so many corners and other than changing the subject he never escaped one of them.
(6) Ron Miscavige recently talked about his frustrations with our government. It seems as if not one politician in the US says or does anything. Why is this? I really don’t think they could get away with litigating the government to death again. We are in different times. Am I wrong to assume this? It boggles the mind that NOTHING is done. Are they simply afraid that it will hurt their career if they take on a church because of religious freedom? What is the reason NOBODY seems to do anything? This is a BUSINESS!!! How on Earth can they not see this?
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