Your last two paragraphs…

“OT III’s strength comes from Hubbard’s and scientology’s hold over it’s members. It’s weakness is the ease to which it can be ridiculed: no more so than the ‘death by pneumonia’ caused by the ‘freewheeling’ reading of it out of it’s fixed order.”

“Hubbard’s nonsense condemns spokespersons like Tommy Davis to a life of back-pedalling from hereon. Miscavige is playing for time when he uses him as a patsy -nobody else is willing, and time is running out.”

Yes, I couldn’t agree more. As someone who was never a Scientologist, although I recognize that it is the abuses in Scientology which are unjust, and its goals and potential I consider it to be the greatest danger (the only real reason I became a critic), the “sacred scriptures” can’t be left alone, or be free from critical analysis, and that includes using them for a good laugh.

The death-by-pneumonia threat hanging over the sci-fi Xenu story, (aka “secret sacred scriptures”) complete with DC8s, has too much comic potential, as a way to capture people’s attention. It smacks of “Hubbard was a loon.” It has “It’s a scam!” written all over it as a subtext.

No matter how much explanation they come up with — they should hire a gymnastics coach — to try to be sophisticated, pious, and serious, comparing this with other religions, and saying it is “exactly the same,” it isn’t. On one level it is as silly, but on an important level, it is far more silly. That is, we know too much about Hubbard and the organization. It is too well documented. Scientology has been involved in too many court-documented illegal activities.

And their new gyroscopic centrifuge — the “same one the astronauts use” — is not going to enhance the credibility of their “sacred scriptures.” Ditto for the three underground vaults to house all this wisdom emblazoned on titanium.

Ditto for their “IT’S THE PSYCHS!” museum and traveling freak show. Ditto for everything else.

I sincerely hope the FBI is monitoring Scientology closely, for “END DAYS” behavior — large Kookaid shipments or weapons purchases in particular.

Very well put. That kind of greater insight can’t be gained simply by being a member of the organization and accepting “what is true for you” when so much pressure is put on ACCEPTING, in order to advance, and avoid punishment (sec checks, additional fees, RPF, humiliation).

After all, members who never leave, and don’t read books about the experiences of others, or books about the history, like Bare-Faced, see a narrow picture of Scientology.

I don’t doubt that some celebrities and other members, have a fun, positive time in Scientology, with some really exhilarating highs. You can tell it is a real trip for Cruise, the high school drop out, who feels himself imbued with special power, and an “authority on the mind.” At one point, Hitler felt on top of the world, gassing Jews and taking over countries. Just because it is a positive experience for some people within an organization, doesn’t mean it is right.

To see the bigger picture, you have to draw back, and take a multitude of factors into consideration. You have to read about the experiences of dozens, even hundreds of former members, because they have seen both sides, and many like Jerry Armstrong, have seen the inner workings, which is something a lot of regular members just do not see, especially the public or celebrity members. Everyone’s experience is unique.

Scientologists are always imploring people to learn about it by immersing yourself in it, because THAT is the only way to understand it, and see if “it works for you.”

I say the opposite. The only way to understand Scientology, is to get OUT OF IT. “Wake up!” (Jason Beghe) Draw back. Read about the bigger picture. Read about the experience of others because that is important too.

Understand the obvious, that something may be awry, if 8 million people took that first course in Scientology, but there are only 100,000 people who stuck with it.

Jason Beghe was asked, in Mark Bunkers famous interview, if he actually believed this story. He said he “accepted” it. It almost means the same but belief needs passion. Acceptance, however, is all Hubbard would have wanted. It was all he needed to see, redefine or discover his enemies -one of his most consistent and persistant activities. With the introduction of OT III to a cult-members curriculum he could dictate the timing of the emergence of a dangerous misbelief and erradicate it. He could not allow doubts to fester.

In this light it is then logical to think of the Xenu story as not a central part of scientology belief but as just another one of Hubbards tools. However, Jon Atack who wrote “A Piece Of Blue Sky” was elated to find out that his personal problems were not down to him but body-thetans, so sometimes the story is treated with awe and reverance. All the better then, for Hubbard’s ambitions.

Every single level or activity within the cult has two roles to perform. These are to indoctrinate and control: the supply of money for one but also to gain and maintain the attractive addiction of power.

Someone commented that the OT III level was only a small part in a great controlling system. I think it was an essential part. Perhaps it was Hubbard’s perverse sense of humour -plus his arrogance in believing it could be kept secret by threats, to dream it up in the first place.

OT III’s strength comes from Hubbard’s and scientology’s hold over it’s members. It’s weakness is the ease to which it can be ridiculed: no more so than the ‘death by pneumonia’ caused by the ‘freewheeling’ reading of it out of it’s fixed order.

Hubbard’s nonsense condemns spokespersons like Tommy Davis to a life of back-pedalling from hereon. Miscavige is playing for time when he uses him as a patsy -nobody else is willing, and time is running out.

The OT III/Xenu story is the CoS’s core “belief”. From OT III and beyond Scientologists have to audit their past lives, and the past lives of their body thetans AKA BT’s which are the dead aliens souls that are attached to our body’s. Hence the OT III story.

How can you continue past OT III if you are not made too believe in Xenu? If you don’t believe then you are lying to yourself. What kind of religion makes their members keep secrets, and lie to themselves?

Scientology is not a religion, it is a scam. Anyone can see that. Any “religion” were you have a progressively pay your way up the ladder before they’ll reveal their “secrets” to you isn’t a religion. That’s a scam. It is dishonest to charge clients thousands of dollars and not tell them what you are selling. It is an unethical business practice.

Everything else is just part of the phony facade. Scientology’s policies of secrecy were put into place to protect their scam, and nothing more. Their is nothing religions about Scientology.