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Critical Q&A #383

This week it’s answers about how Scientology is stuck in the past, some more thoughts about Tom Cruise as a Scientologist, the kind of people who end up in OSA and a lot more. Enjoy!

(1) I remember during my short experience with Scientology that emails are called telexes. The reason was because that was the technology that was used during the time when Hubbard ran things. I was wondering if it took Scientology a long time to convert over to email, or if they made the switch the moment email became popular? If they did delay the process, did they do so for fear of violating the KSW principle? If this is indeed the case, how did Miscavige justify violating the KSW principle for this instance? Do you know of any other outdated practices/technology that Scientology uses because they’re resistant to change?

(2) Do you consider Tom Cruise to be in a near command-and-control position of power within the Church of Scientology? If not, how would you define his level of power and authority and influence within the organization?

(3) In the Sea Org, who was the highest level person you met with aside from David  Miscavige? What was this person like?

(4) What kind of people get selected to be members of the Office of Special Affairs (OSA), what type of skills or behaviors do they look for and what is the process?

(5) What is the point of the harsh conditions for Sea Org members? Is it institutional culture, as in “it’s always been this way, why change?” or is it a cost-saving measure? A control mechanism? Sadism? It seems to me that they would have an easier time recruiting and keeping Sea Org members by making very minor changes such as better food, more time to get 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) Do Sea Org members that come from wealthy families accept money from their families to subsidize their small paycheck and, if so, do the other Sea Org members get jealous?

(7) Have you ever heard of STOSA? It is an online platform for some basic courses for independent Scientologists. I was considering taking some, but I am skeptical of this site being a rabbit hole for regular Scientology. Do you know anything about it?

(8) You mentioned in a previous video that some years ago the Church was teasing the release of an E-meter which could ‘register a thetan’.  While it was clearly nonsense to extort more money from the membership, I’m curious if you have any information on what this E-meter was supposed to do?

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