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Critical Q&A #327

This week, it’s answers about how Hubbard tried to validate Dianetics as a real science, off-limits movies for Scientologists, etiquette in the Sea Org and a lot more. Enjoy!

(1) Hubbard was known as a writer to go off into a room and write for hours on end, even being up all night, and pounding out voluminous works whether they were stories or Scientology. Did anyone at any point demand Hubbard present some kind of proof or evidence of his work? Did everyone just take him at his word? 

Could this play into the fact why Scientology was never publicly debated or examined because deep down he knew it was a scam and did not need negative publicity?

(2) Are there any movies that involve Tom Cruise, John Travolta, or any of the other usual suspects that are forbidden for Scientologists to watch because they don’t adhere to their values? The only one I can think of off the top of my head is maybe “Eyes Wide Shut” but they’ve both been in controversial movies, even for the secular crowd.

(3) Given the regimentation of the Sea Org and CoS in general, did anyone ever display simple etiquette like saying “Please?” and “Thank you” or giving an acknowledgment of good work, or asking to open a door? Seems simple, but nothing in Scientology is simple.

(4) L Ron Hubbard died in 1986. That means that in 2037 (life plus 50 years), his works enter the public domain in New Zealand, Canada, and a few other countries. That’s only 16 years from now. Does the Church of Scientology have any plan for what happens when Hubbard’s works enter the public domain? Without the copyright protection, what would stop someone from taking Hubbard’s writings and starting a rival church?

(5) What the heck happened to Mission into Time? I remember people in my org discussing it a lot but I never met anyone who actually read it and it was never available in any org’s bookstore. Clearly everyone wanted it back then so where did it go?

(6) Would you watch a rom-com that’s set in prison?

(7) Have you ever heard of Access Consciousness/Access Bars? Do you know about its connections to Scientology?  I’ve heard people say it’s a watered down version of Scientology but I couldn’t really make the connection other than the founder, Gary Douglas, was married to a Scientologist at one point in his life. 

(8) What is your favorite graphic t-shirt ever?

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