The Faith Column
Every week a different believer gives the inside track on their religion or philosophy.
A journey into Scientology
- Posted by Kenneth Eckersley
- 18 February 2008
Currently much talked about and argued over in the media, Kenneth Eckerersley explains how he came to join the Church of Scientology
I was born in 1927 and started my religious life in the Church of England, as a member of Sunday School and the choir. I joined the Cubs, then the Scouts and after serving in the Royal Navy, became a Scoutmaster. Work with the Old People’s Welfare Association and Road Safety Committee led to my joining the District Council and to later serving on the Magistrate’s Bench until my job moved me into Europe.
In 1950 I read the book: DIANETICS: The Modern Science of Mental Health, and was fascinated by the way in which that research related to the world around me, and how I could directly put it into practice in my life, to help myself and others. Later when Ron Hubbard’s discovery that man is basically good and is seeking to survive as a spiritual being led to the development of Scientology, it became clear to many of his students that his researches and writings were in fact in the field of religion. Hence the first Churches of Scientology were formed.
Insofar as this new religion validated man’s spiritual nature it also confirmed earlier beliefs, and I soon found myself with a circle of friends from a wide range of other religions who, like me, recognised that Scientology complemented the beliefs of people of goodwill and provided a common set of values, as well as being the religion of choice for many who earlier had professed no belief.
These values included beliefs held by all Scientologists as part of their Creed. The principles in that Creed have become personal certainties for me and I now hold them as an important part of my life.
Miracle-like experiences brought by Scientology to my brother and my wife I shall describe in a later post, but for myself the main results of my study of Hubbard’s works have been twofold
Firstly, I now have an unassailable good natured and cheerful certainty in myself. A quiet confidence that nothing can really trouble me for more than a short time because I know that I will quickly find a solution. I find that that certainty and self-confidence play themselves out in my life.
Secondly, because I personally feel at peace with myself, I am able to observe and give attention to the plight of our communities and the individuals within those communities, and this has resulted in a daily desire to help others in a wide variety of ways.
Sometimes the help is financial, but mainly it is hands on: making full use of the various skills I have learnt in Scientology. Helping addicts recover from drugs or alcohol. Helping the recently bereaved recover from their loss. Helping those in physical pain understand and overcome it. Helping those in fear or other painful emotion deal with it and recover. And what do you know? As I help others - with no real additional effort - my own life and quality of survival blossoms more and more as my friends increase in number and rise towards their own certainties.
In later posts I shall discuss Scientology and my family, the groups to which I belong, mankind, other life forms, the physical and spiritual universes, belief in a Supreme Being and why Scientology has been attacked.
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60 comments from readers
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anonymous
18 February 2008 at 15:32 Scientology is not a religion. It is a bullying, aggressively litigious con that has destroyed lives.
Petitions against scientology can be signed by logging on to the downing street web-site:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/StopNarconon/
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/scientologyno/
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/-Scientology/
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/anti-scientology/
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Anonymous2
18 February 2008 at 16:28 Whether you think Scientology is a religion is irrelevant anonymous.
People have a right to believe whatever they want to believe.
However the body that runs Scientology, The Church of Scientology is responsible for countless abuses of staff, harassment and libel slandering of critics and censorship of information.
For more information look at http://www.youfoundthecard.com/
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chuckbeatty77
18 February 2008 at 17:03 I highly recommend readers simply read the critical books written about Scientology. I was a staff member in Scientology for 27 years, until quitting in 2003. http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/
I have been reading these books and re-studying some of Hubbard's most controversial writings, and I conlcude that the downsides painted by critical observers are MORE the case, than the introductory catechism PR blurb defense of Scientology given out by trained spokespeople like the gentlemen's article in defense of Scientology. Let the average Scientologist speak freely, and answer questions freely, but that is not possible, due to Hubbard's penalty rules, such as it being a suppressive act to divulge the no longer confidential body thetans/Xenu/Marcab confederacy and Duke of Chug theology of L. Ron Hubbard. Hubbard believed in his science fiction, and the longer people stay in Scientology, those that stick, are likewise drawn into the science fiction UFO cult and 1984ish totalitarian controlling beliefs of Scientology. Read the old and upcoming new books on Scientology by former members. English people are luckier than us Americans. I I find English media is the best in scewering, and rightly so, Hubbard's operation and the lineup of offensive beliefs and rules that generate the controversies surrounding Scientology. Chuck Beatty, Pittsburgh, USA, ex Scientology lifetime stafffer, 1975-2003
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scifag
18 February 2008 at 17:03 People do have the right to believe what they want.
However, embedded in the core of scientology is a bait and switch scam. Anyone talking about scientology such as this article will never tell you what scientology really is. When you find out aliens play a key role in scientology, it will be too late. You will have already given them over $100,000. By that time, you are living at the church working 16 hour days and security guards will physically stop you if you try to leave.
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MrChillyAnon
18 February 2008 at 17:05 enough said...It is truly joyous that you've found a religion that fits you and your needs. Not many get to experience that in their lifetime. There will be posts on here...do not take them as attacks on your faith. Your beliefs are your beliefs. But certain actions and practices by your church will be pointed out. This is not an attack on you, but on dealings with your church.
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Robert Powell
18 February 2008 at 17:11 Hmm, a former choirboy turned scoutmaster and JP. My faith in Scientology is restored!
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Anon 8649
18 February 2008 at 17:43 This sounds like a public relations statement.
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Anonymous9000
18 February 2008 at 18:16 Sadly, Mr. Eckersley has unwittingly demonstrated one of the saddest things about the Church of Scientology. He appears to be genuinely interested in helping to make the world a better place, and believes he has the tools and personal abilities to do this due to his belief in Scientology.
This is true of many Scientologists, the "public" Scientologists who are paying the "Church" large sums of money to "improve" themselves through the courses they are taking, the overworked and vastly underpaid "staff" and even those in the more obscure organisations such as the "Sea Org" who sign billion year contracts to demonstrate their determination to continue the work of the "Church" throughout their lifetime, and subsequent re-incarnations.
However, they are driven deep into a closed world whereby their information is deliberately controlled and distorted to make their good intentions tools of the "Church of Scientology".
Mr Eckersley himself is a strong proponent of an organisation called Narconon. This is a supposed "drug rehabilitation" programme which has absolutely no success in the normal peer-reviewed, scientific sense of the word "success". "Successes" claimed by the program are backed up entirely by other organisations from within the control of the "Church of Scientology" and mainly seem to be based on the "confessional" a participant in the program writes at the end of such a program - this is not an acceptable way of measuring the effectiveness of the program in any normal scientific scenario.
However, the claims for the program are echoed throughout the inner PR and outlets for the "Church" until they seem convincing. The fact that it is necessary to aggressively criticise the medical and psychological sciences and disbelieve all of their meticulous research and controlled testing in order to believe this explains the open hostility the "Church" has shown to these professions.
Narconon (and it's sister Criminon) have a reasonable success rate in one field, and one field alone. Recruiting new members to the "Church". The fact that the "Church" is deliberately targeting very vulnerable people as recruits, under the guise of helping them, and utilising the caring nature of it's members to provide the PR, work and finances in order to do this is nothing short of a disgrace.
It is worth taking the claims of humanitarianism from the "Church" and it's members with a pinch of salt. The "Church" of Scientology believes the world can be improved by it's own expansion - when we are *all* members, they will have created a world without war, drug addiction and crime. Ex-members often say that George Orwell's book 1984 is a very close description of what our world would be like when the planet is "Cleared" by the "Church".
Sadly this also means that the members honest "desire to help others" becomes twisted to a "desire to recruit more members" and all of the "Churches" so-called humanitarian efforts are to this purpose. All talk of "charitable work" - apart from a minimal spend on public relations exercises, most of which also contain a recruitment component anyway - are misleading. The charities the "Church" supports are, through a complex inter-twining of organisations and front groups, actually the "Church" itself.
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lisamcpherson
18 February 2008 at 20:50 I'm sure Scientology works for many people, but so do similar neuro-linguistic programming self improvement courses around the globe. Even in a medical trial, some people taking the dummy pills will improve. That's not the point. The point is what about when it doesn't work for a person, such as Lisa McPherson? A harmless course just fails. But the "Church" of scientology let people die, cover it up, rather than admit a single defeat.
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JeanneB
18 February 2008 at 22:11 To all the "anonymous" posters here, and the others who feel that anonymity gives them a license to hatred and bigotry, and to attack the personal beliefs of Scientologists (including their loyalty to the church that has helped them for so many years) I take offense at your malice and cowardice (which I am sure you are trying to elicit by your postings). When you have helped as many people as Ken has helped over the years maybe it will give you the position to attack him and his work and beliefs.
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Anonymous9000
18 February 2008 at 22:14 You know why have to be Anonymous. Google Paulette Cooper - criticising the Church of Scientology is a dangerous business, they harass, intimidate and litigate against all critics. I would maintain the "help" of a Scientologist is not actually "help" - it is "recruitment".
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anotheranon
18 February 2008 at 23:49 http://www.whyaretheydead.net/
the truth is out there
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MrChillyAnon
19 February 2008 at 00:05 Wow JeanneB...nice spin! We didn't attack him and his beliefs...we merely pointed out many wrongdiongs f your church...calm down and read...now breathe...there you go... Now that's your relaxed....We don't care what you believe in...we're protesting illegal activities of the church...
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stewart
19 February 2008 at 00:41 Hmm, a bunch of malice-filled "holier than thou" would-be moralists hiding behind the internet and masks.
Do you realise you're basically accusing a Magistrate of being involved with criminals? How low can you get? I actually know Ken personally and he is one of the most decent and kindest persons I have ever met.
So back off and get your facts straight:
1. It is core to Scientology not to do anything illegal. Where a staff member has been found to have committed criminal acts, they are instantly dismissed. Full research will show that many vocal critics are such persons. They didn't "leave in disgust" - they were booted out for being criminals and abusing their positions of trust in a church.
2. Many scientific studies have validated Narconon.
3.Narconon and Criminon are totally secular. Scientology will promote Narconon, but Narconon does not promote, nor recruit for, Scientology.
4. The staff involved with Lisa McPherson were totally vindicated in a court of law. Notice that some hidden persons repeatedly bring that up compared with psychiatry's thousands of deaths per year from abuse and suicide, and without a shred of genuine scientific evidence to back it up.
5. The "core beliefs" of Scientology does NOT include aliens. It includes such subjects as your own spiritual nature, personal integrity, communication, creativity, meta-physics, etc. Many Scientologists believe in past lives, some, in past lives "on other worlds". This is not a core belief and not required of any member. Even if it were, it is not out of step with doctrines found in the Veda, the oldest scriptures on the planet.
6. I am an average Scientologist speaking totally freely. (In anticipation of the responses, no, Ken and I did not co-ordinate on this. I had no idea he was doing an article, and he has no idea that I'm writing this post.)
I think the best motto that applies here is from Hamlet: "The lady doth protest too much, methinks."
The paranoid hostility of these haters blatant. They can't stand to see people succeed or help each other.
Well rave and foam and spit then! Go ahead. All you do is attract interest from people who are decent. Scientology is growing faster than ever despite your lies and hatred.
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lisamcpherson
19 February 2008 at 01:46 steward,
Thank you for showing most of Scientologists are in the dark, and are not able to debate anything other than repeating the offical statement. The core belief is alien, google court documents. And the full texts of all OT courses are more are freely available on the net, that you obviously are not able to afford yet. Read and come back to debate.
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curiouser
19 February 2008 at 01:56 I'm curious how a gang of internet hackers have suddenly become enlightened enough to attack a religios organization. It makes me wonder if they are even the same group or maybe they are just claiming to be. Stewart makes a very good point about "psychiatry's thousands of deaths per year from abuse and suicide". Just recently there was another gunman who went off his meds and killed several people for apparently no reason. Do we have scientific evidence that these meds aren't the cause of most if not all of these shootings. It would seem psychiatrists have a license to kill, yet some of the Anonymous seem to promote psychiatric meds. Did somebody say Scientology would not admit defeat in the case of Lisa McPherson, yet they settled with the family in spite of being totally vindicated in a court of law. I'm also curious how many anonymous groups there are as their voices appear to be in a total chaotic cacaphonic anarchic disagreement and from what I see surely include representatives of the PsychoPharmaceuticals, Psychiatrists, FDA, and criminals who have a vested interest in the outcome. As has been pointed out they doth protest too much.
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anotheranon
19 February 2008 at 02:14 psychiatry = science
scientology = science fiction
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nawawimohamad
19 February 2008 at 03:28 "In later posts I shall discuss Scientology and my family, the groups to which I belong, mankind, other life forms, the physical and spiritual universes, belief in a Supreme Being and why Scientology has been attacked." I thought scientologists do not believe in God. What do you mean by "Supreme Being"?
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anotheranon
19 February 2008 at 03:42 Why is it so expensive to be a $cientologist? if your goal is to truly help people, shouldn't the amazing knowledge be free? And why don't they tell you about Xenu, the space alien, until you've already spent a small fortune to reach level III on the pyramid?
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Anon4444
19 February 2008 at 05:40 One more critic of Scientology dies. Shawn Lonsdale found dead on Feb 16 in his Clearwater home. Police are treating it as a suicide.
Lonsdale was the videographer critic in the BBC Panorama documentary "Scientology and Me"- the one with John Sweeney.
whyaretheydead.net
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curiouser
19 February 2008 at 06:15 I am curioius as to how it is it that psychiatrists and their psychotropic prescriptions remain unimplicated in all of the shootings by people who went off their meds. Do people really believe that they would have gotten worse had they not taken these drugs. Check out the warning labels regarding the side effects such as suicide.
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Outraged Non-Hacker
19 February 2008 at 07:37 1. No one said this gentleman intentionally lied, but we have suggested that he has, presumably in good faith, misrepresented his organization's behavior.
2. No one has accused him personally of taking part in any of the acts which Church of Scientology has perpetrated and
3. No independent scientific studies have every validated anything whatsoever about Scientology -- only rigged and vague pseudoscience performed by Scientology itself has supported any of it.
4. L. Ron Hubbard stated that someday, Scientology would be found illegal, and by then, he intended that Scientologists would be the ones SAYING what was legal. Due to large legal budgets and intended harassment by way of lawsuits, so far that plan has worked to Scientology's favor.
5. Enough with your ridiculous rants about psychiatry. You're just trying to slander the competition, which is kicking your behinds. Can't stand to see money go into anyone else's pocket, even if they, unlike you, went to school to learn whereof they speak, can you?
No more. No more blind eyes turned in the name of political correctness or "religious" tolerance. It's been criminal tolerance, and we've neglected our societal duty by allowing this to go on, out of a misguided sense of manners, frankly. Sometimes, it's time to just thrown down, so to speak, and we have done so. You shall not bully the citizenry ANY MORE. You shall not murder, cheat, steal and lie with impunity. The forces of good have arisen in a righteous cause to expel you not just from the internet, but from society.
By the moral standards of every nation on earth (Teegeack, to you, Curiouser), the Church of Scientology has perpetrated fraud, harassment, negligent homicide, tax evasion, breaking & entering, impersonation of authorities such as police officers, and abuses of the legal system. (It's called Google. Use it.) No namby-pamby soft-sell of this soulless operation will make that less true. No ridiculous celebrity endorsement "jump on the bandwagon" appeal will make it less so. No BS attempts to distract with ridiculous allegations about psychiatry will make it less so.
Fellow citizens of the world: Outlaw this organized crime (masquerading as a religion) NOW.
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Anonymous9000
19 February 2008 at 10:05 Narconon may well be a "secular" organisation, however it pays large amounts of money to the RTC (a part of the Church of Scientology) to "license" their "Tech" (supposedly religious material!). This means that tax-payers money, spent on supposed "drug rehabilitation" schemes is being paid back to the "Church" for their totally unproven treatment (NO real scientific, peer-reviewed studies can be done on any Dianetics "technology" as the church will not allow it. The only proper trial in the 50's showed it to have no effect whatsoever and began Hubbard's rabid hatred of psychiatry and real medicine - current scientific estimates of the Narconon programme's effectiveness rate it at about 6% - compared to the "Church" controlled organisations estimate of 70%).
Here's a demonstration of the awful damage that can be caused by rejecting proven, scientific methods for dealing with mental problems...
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23235630-421,00.html
A terribly sad story of the damage caused by the ignorance fostered by the CoS for it's own purpose...
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bigbillygoatgruff
19 February 2008 at 11:27 Good to see that this comment thread has brought out the Scitrolls.
Yes, I am sure he IS a nice man, as I am sure most rank and file scienos are, however no matter how the scientology drivels on or sues out of existence the stories and testimonies of this groups abuses just won't go away.
I particulary "liked" the interview on youtube with the ex OSA guy talking about slipping LSD to a pregnant woman. Explain that way scitrolls.
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billlivingston
19 February 2008 at 11:46 Ken, Reading your column reminds me of the book Siddhartha, one of my favorite books. In the end, the main character achieved happiness helping others. We live in a confused world. Many scientists believe the whole universe started from one lump of matter that exploded. I have yet to hear an explanation of where the lump came from. I find that explanation rather unsatisfying. It is nice to hear of people who are actually working to help others--that seems like a sign of true sanity. Congratulations.
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CrustyAnon
19 February 2008 at 12:25 I have knows a couple of Christians who used to be Jewish - they had nothing really bad to say about their ex-'church' - but they couldn't hold onto that faith.
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I have known a couple of Buddhists who used to be Christian - they had nothing really bad to say about their ex-'church' - but they couldn't hold onto the faith.
I have knows a fair few Atheists who used to be all sorts - they had nothing really bad to say about their ex-'church' - but they couldn't hold on to any faith.
I had encountered a few ex-Scientologists. EVERY SINGLE ONE had LOTS of BAD STUFF to say about their ex-'church'; and that was even iognoring the whole question of FAITH.
Anyone reading this thread, the posts by scientologists are blindingly obvious - sometimes scientologists will say they are not so their 'support' sounds more authentic. Don't buy it. These people are victims of a kind of brain washing and mind control that is extremely effective.
You want to find out whether the dirty stories about an organisation are true or not, you listen to the EX-members, not the current ones - obvious really.
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stewart
19 February 2008 at 12:43 CrustyAnon really needs to do more research on this subject of brainwashing.
It is an activity done mainly by governments during the cold war. The KGB and CIA were/are the worst offenders. As a technology it involves combinations of giving drugs, inflicting pain, electric shocks and hypnosis. The techniques are from the field of psychiatry. In Britain William Sargant was the chief psychiatric "expert" on secondment to MI5 and MI6. In the USA the expert was Donald Ewen Cameron working for the CIA.
Not only does Scientology not engage in anything remotely like this, it is actively opposed to and fights brainwashing and other psychiatric abuse.
Further, the only known way to effecively and fully undo brainwashing is in fact Dianetics.
The first ever public reference to the CIA's MK_ULTRA project is given in L. Ron Hubbard's second book on Dianetics - "Science of Survival", first published in 1951. He called it Pain-Drug-Hypnosis.
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stewart
19 February 2008 at 12:45 bigbillygoatgruff makes my point.
If someone gave a pregnant woman LSD, I think that's digusting and criminal.
If a staff member ever did that, they would very very fast become an ex-staff member.
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stewart
19 February 2008 at 12:48 Dear Outraged Non-Hacker,
I repeat: there are numerous scientific studies of the effectiveness of Narconon.
We're talking measuring the amount of cocaine coming out in the participant's sweat and urine as he goes through the detox, and similar objective measurables.
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Scientia
19 February 2008 at 12:49 Kenneth, thank you for posting these articles. I am so fed up with the amount of tabloid sensationalism and gossip rag BS that one sees and hears so much of when it comes to the subject of Scientology. Your account of what it is really like as an active Scientology, and to win in life from its application, provides a much-needed ray of truth amongst the tired and dull chaos of misinformation that seems so prevalent at the moment.
Yes, I acknowledge there are those who gave up their studies, for whatever reason. There are some of even those who have decided that perhaps all the wins they had using Scientology are now suddenly redundant, the money spent now suddenly wasted, and that those that do continue their studies with success should be attacked or criticised.
But Scientology is not a "fluffy bunny" religion. There is no success to be had in Scientology without the ability to think for oneself, and communicate effectively. It is not for the weak-minded, or for those that need to be told how to think or how to act, or where to place blame for one's hardships. It requires dedication, ethics and responsibility.
Yes, I acknowledge that there have been "out-points", incidents where Scientology has been misapplied, or abused, and people have suffered because of it. Like any group, business or organisation, there will always be someone, somewhere, who feels jipped, or mistreated. But these stories, so blatantly sensationalised in the press, are not the norm. If they were, there wouldn't be ANY Scientologists. Scientology would not expand across the globe, and it would shrivel up and die fairly rapidly.
Reason and rationale are vital abilities. With so much nonsense put out in the media and online about Scientology, to the "outsider", it's ridiculously easy to take a negative viewpoint, succumb to the hysteria and take a position without any real or thorough objective investigation. To do so is folly, but also quite sad that so many are quick to judge in an age where, let's face it, prejudice is one thing that the world really can do without, once and for all.
For a critical look at Scientology AND a look at Scientology criticism, see http://bernie.cncfamily.com/ars.htm
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Anonymous9000
19 February 2008 at 13:38 Findings of Fact regarding the Narconon-Chilocco Application For Certification by the Board of Mental Health, State of Oklahoma
"The Narconon program requires its patients to sweat up to five hours per day, seven days a week, for approximately thirty days. The rationale, according to Narconon for the sweat-out is to rid the body of fat-stored drugs and chemicals through sweat. However, there is no scientific basis for the technique. Most drugs of abuse are removed from the body by detoxification and excretion through the liver, kidneys and (in some instances) through the lungs. Although minute quantities of some drugs may be found in sweat, the amount represents such a small fraction of drug elimination that no matter how much an individual sweated through exercise or saunas, the clearance of most drugs of abuse would not be significantly increased.
The Narconon program includes the administration of high doses of vitamins and minerals to the Narconon patient as part of their treatment. The use of high amounts of vitamins and minerals in the amounts described administered by Narconon can be potentially dangerous to the patients of Narconon according to the more credible medical evidence."
"The Narconon program presents a potential risk to the patients of the Narconon program that delayed withdrawal phenomena such as seizures, delirium or hallucination that are occasionally seen several days after cessation of drugs such as benzodiazepines, may be misinterpreted by Narconon's non-medical staff as the effect of mobilizing the drug from fat during the sauna sweat-out procedure period. There is also a potential risk that the reported re-experience of the abused drugs' effect during the sauna sweat-out program may be the result of misinterpreted symptoms of hyperthermia or electrolyte imbalance since vital signs and serum electrolyte levels have not been consistently monitored during the sweat-out procedures or when a student is reporting the phenomena."
"There is credible evidence by way of witness testimony and review of Narconon charts which reflect that there were patients who had psychiatric problems who were taken off of their previously prescribed psychiatric medication who did not do well and subsequently developed psychiatric problems. This evidence indicates a lack of safety and effectiveness in connection with the program.
Clients of Narconon suffering from psychiatric illness, when taken off their prescribed medications, did poorly in the Narconon program and were placed in a segregated facility called destem. This practice endangers the safety, health and/or the physical and mental well being of Narconon's clients."
"The vast majority of time spent in the Narconon treatment plan and course work does not in any way relate to or involve education about drug and alcohol abuse treatment, issues, and/or addiction. The Narconon treatment plan thus has deficiencies which render it ineffective. The Narconon treatment plan is general in nature, applies categorically to all students and is not individualized. The treatment plan also lacks measurable individualized objectives which the students should seek to achieve in the program. For instance, the treatment plan sets a patient's objective as follows: To have a clear mind. This objective is essentially meaningless. In order for a bonafide drug treatment plan to be effective it is essential to have individualized measured objectives which Narconon's treatment plan lacks.
Part of the Narconon treatment program involves touch assists between patients. Touch assists involve massages between patients in rooms by themselves. Narconon has both male and female patients who are involved in the drug and alcohol rehabilitation program. This practice of touch assists could likely lead to improper sexual contact between drug addicts or alcoholics in the process of recovery. An accepted standard in such programs is for the patients to keep their hands to themselves. The practice of touch assists between male and female patients who are recovering drug addicts or alcoholics in private rooms renders the program unsafe in this respect."
"
Narconon clients are counseled by Narconon staff that it is acceptable for the client to drink alcohol after being discharged from the Narconon program and if the client is incapable of being able to drink alcohol, then this fact evidences the client's need for further treatment. Such counseling endangers the client's safety, health and/or the physical or mental well being, and is not in accord with acceptable drug and alcohol counseling and treatment.
Narconon employs staff inadequately educated and trained in the care and treatment of drug and alcohol abuse clients. Such a practice endangers the safety, health and/or the physical or mental well being of the clients of Narconon.
Narconon permits clients under treatment for drug and alcohol abuse to handle and provide medications to fellow Narconon clients, to supervise the sauna treatment of fellow Narconon clients, and to supervise Narconon clients with psychiatric disorders. Such practices endanger the client's health and safety and are not in accord with acceptable drug and alcohol treatment.
There is substantial medical literature which indicates that sauna therapy may pose significant health risks to intravenous heroin addicts, which is likely to be treated at Narconon, because such drug use may impair normal physiological response and problems associated with high temperature saunas which could be detected."
"The Narconon Program includes running to stimulate circulation followed by prescribed periods in a sauna for up to 5 hours at extremely high temperatures (i.e. 135 to 200 F) and as such endangers the safety, health and/or the physical or mental well being of its clients. Such a procedure exposes the client to the health hazards of dehydration and heat injury. This sauna regime also creates a risk of hyperthermia and electrolyte imbalance.
Narconon restricts access by Narconon clients to their personal physicians, family, attorneys, clergy and others by not permitting communications except at limited and designated hours. Such a practice may endanger the physical or mental well being of Narconon's clients."
"
The vast majority of Narconon's course materials in its drug and alcohol abuse program are not designed to educate and/or treat clients in the area of drug and alcohol abuse. In addition, there was only evidence of occasional lectures to Narconon clients in areas of drug and alcohol abuse. As such, Narconon's program lacks sufficient instruction and education in the area of drug and alcohol abuse.
There is no credible scientific evidence that the Narconon program is effective in the treatment of chemical dependency.
There is no credible scientific evidence that exercise speeds up the detoxification process.
Large doses of niacin are administered to patients during the Narconon program to rid the body of radiation. There is no credible scientific evidence that niacin in any way gets radiation out of the patient's body. Rather, the more credible medical evidence supports the existence of potential medical risks to persons receiving high doses of niacin.
There is no credible evidence establishing the safety of the Narconon program to its patients.
There is no credible evidence establishing the effectiveness of the Narconon program to its patients."
The United States National Institute on Drug Abuse, based in Maryland, does not know of a single peer reviewed piece scientific literature to support the program.
For a brief review of the quite improbable pseudo-science the Narconon programme is based on I would suggest reading this article.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Narconon/junkscience.htm
To claim this programme is scientifically valid one must be extremely ignorant of scientific methodology and current medical practice... the "Purification Rundown" on which it is based is at best bizarre and misinformed and at worst criminally negligent...
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AnyAnonymous
19 February 2008 at 14:07 Stewart, Could you give us a study in a peer-reviewed journal on the effectiveness of narcanon? I'm sure we'd all love to know about a program that is as effective as you claim.
Although, of course, you watch too many movies about 'brainwashing'. Passive brainwashing is all around us in any free market culture in the form of advertisements. The very simplest is the corporate logo. Larger brands make sure their logos are seen hundreds of times per day by consumers. This creates a passive positive association with the product and a measurable increase in sales.
Scientology uses a more direct form. The process of auditing involves sitting with a guiding speaker (the auditor) and holding an e-meter (functionally, a primitive lie detector). The subject is then lead through a series of questions and forced to repeat answers until a desired response is heard. While not nearly as mentally shocking as the techniques described above, this can also be a powerful method used to influence people. This is all the more-so since the subject is both emotionally and financially (up to $1000 an hour) invested in coming up with the "correct" responses.
(Note: if the above is factually inaccurate in your opinion, please give accurate information instead of merely stating I was wrong.)
I do provisionally agree with you in one area. I have suffered from psychiatric mis diagnosis and been incorrectly given drugs. However, as an actual victim of the crimes you so freely allege, at no time did I ever detect any malice from my doctor. I have far more standing then you to complain, yet I would say that your vitriol is both overstated and misguided.
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MrChillyAnon
19 February 2008 at 14:30 "But Scientology is not a "fluffy bunny" religion. There is no success to be had in Scientology without the ability to think for oneself, and communicate effectively. It is not for the weak-minded, or for those that need to be told how to think or how to act, or where to place blame for one's hardships. It requires dedication, ethics and responsibility." Is this why you target drug abusers, and other addictive people?
"Yes, I acknowledge that there have been "out-points", incidents where Scientology has been misapplied, or abused, and people have suffered because of it. Like any group, business or organisation, there will always be someone, somewhere, who feels jipped, or mistreated. But these stories, so blatantly sensationalised in the press, are not the norm. If they were, there wouldn't be ANY Scientologists. Scientology would not expand across the globe, and it would shrivel up and die fairly rapidly." The biggest scams the CoS has perpetrated over the years are from direct orders from the people who are in charge. Dm is still there I believe?
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Colonel Blimp
19 February 2008 at 14:50 I went out with a Scientologist once. My what lovelies.
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Hunter
19 February 2008 at 16:17 In spite of Eckersley's claim toward "humanitarian" purposes, his "religion" is one of pure self interest -- Scientology claims to carry man to higher levels of "knowing," and thus fill his life with "meaning & purpose." This is where the "lions share" of your money and time are focused. I wonder if Mr. Eckersley has really "arrived" ... or is he still on the "Bridge" with the promise of the "ultimate" always over the next horizon? Contained within this idea is the absolute paradox of Scientology ... one will NEVER be able to attain the "ultimate." If that were possible, as the literature claims, then what marketing genious wouldn't provide the testimonial of the guy who made it and march him all over the country for everyone to see. Why? Well, because it's an "empty suit." And that emptiness is there because God Himself put it within man's conscience and heart as evidence of His existence ... and there is indeed a cure! It's just not in Scientology.
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Moochie
19 February 2008 at 18:44 Whenever I hear of Scientology's "Bridge" I am reminded of rodents and running wheels.
One of the cult's apologists above mentioned "belief in a Supreme Being". Christians reading this may like to avail themselves of Hubbard's thoughts on Jesus Christ, something along the lines of Jesus being a paedophile...
It's all out there in the public domain.
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victor p lulzenstein
19 February 2008 at 19:12 "I'd like to start a religion. That's where the money is." -- L Ron Hubbard
"THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN CONTROL PEOPLE IS TO LIE TO THEM. You can write that down in your book in great big letters. The only way you can control anybody is to lie to them." -- L Ron Hubbard
# "They were imported. They were actually .. the trick was to shoot somebody, disable somebody, very often a needle into a lung and at the same time to hit him with frozen alcohol and glycol which preparation is guaranteed to pick up a Thetan. All they had to do was pick him up and put him in a refrigerator and they had him, boy. If he tried to exteriorize from the body, there he was, frozen.
And they threw 'em into collection points, boxed 'em up in boxes, threw 'em into space planes which were the exact copies of DC8's, the DC8 airplane is the exact copy of the space plane of that day. And, no difference, except the DC8 had fans, propellers on it and the space plane didn't." -- L Ron Hubbard
"Actually, have you ever noticed how a negro, in particular, down south, where they're pretty close to the soil, personifies MEST? The gate post and the wagon and the whip and anything around there. A hat -- they talk to 'em, you know. "Wassa madda wit you, hat?" [laughter]. They imbue them, with personality." -- L Ron Hubbard
"So I thought that it might be a good thing to know in event of atomic war that we would get -- we might have some chemical assist so that maybe the people who were only slightly frazzled and so forth, could -- could come out of it. And it would have to be very simple. It would have to be some common drug, some common pill.
Well, there are societies in England that are having an awfully good time fighting the cigarette. They can't do anything else, so they fight cigarettes. And they say that the cigarette causes lung cancer. And they've -- you've been hearing something of this, I'm sure. Yeah. Not smoking enough will cause lung cancer. Not smoking enough will cause lung cancer! If anybody is getting a cancerous activity in the lung, the probabilities are that it's radiation dosage coupled with the fact that he smokes. And what it does is start to run out the radiation dosage, don't you see. But I'd say that would be better than not running out any of the radiation dosage at all and the number of lung cancer cases which exist, of course, that don't smoke are just forgotten about by these societies, but they are very numerous.
Anyway, there's nicotinic acid in that cigarette. Inevitably, on inhalation of tobacco, you will get some of this phenomena of face flush, but in view of the fact that a cigarette isn't pushing its smoke over the outside of the body but on the inside, of course, you run it out internally " -- L Ron Hubbard
More great L Ron Hubbard quotes (with audio): http://www.xenu.net/archive/multimedia.html
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anotheranon
19 February 2008 at 23:04 "I am curioius as to how it is it that psychiatrists and their psychotropic prescriptions remain unimplicated in all of the shootings by people who went off their meds. Do people really believe that they would have gotten worse had they not taken these drugs. Check out the warning labels regarding the side effects such as suicide."
-------------------------------------------
Who's to say these shootings aren't the byproduct of violent video games? Or perhaps mothers and fathers working more;thus spending less time bonding with their kids. Violent movies? I just don't think it's the meds. And if the E-Meter is so amazing, why can't we the people have a public demonstration.
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anotheranon
19 February 2008 at 23:14 "Further, the only known way to effecively and fully undo brainwashing is in fact Dianetics."
i read dianetics once, found it to be the most fumbling, bumbling, unintellectual sale of someone trying to sound intellectual. there's a reason scientists in the real world do not study it.
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anotheranon
19 February 2008 at 23:53 A 1971 ruling of the United States District Court, District of Columbia (333 F. Supp. 357), specifically stated, "The E-meter has no proven usefulness in the diagnosis, treatment or prevention of any disease, nor is it medically or scientifically capable of improving any bodily function."
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Paul Riddick
20 February 2008 at 03:07 Hubbard and Mind Control -
self-incrimination: http://warrior.xenu.ca/Brain-Washing-manual.html
Many cults hide their blatant mind control by pretending to be a solution to it. They redefine or ridicule the term so it does not include them, speaking out against the straw man evils of others.
The fact is that of all the cults in the field of cult phenomenon, Scientology is the Flagship of all brainwashing programmes by which all other cults are judged. They are so much more advanced than the stuff the government studied and implemented (the Moonies for example).
This is not hate speech. This is common knowledge in the field of sociological psychology. The religious belief system related to L. Ron Hubbard's writings is merely the form the cult takes - the real problems are its totalistic, authoritarian mechanics.
So Kenneth, you need to tell us if you submit to Sec Checks more willingly than a court inquiry about your behaviours. If you are asked to covertly participate in "dead agent" tactics in violation of your public oaths, will you deny your church's call or answer it secretly under a guise of a end-justifies-means defending freedom of religion?
Is our public interest safe with you? Maybe it is, but the cause for concern is borne of history. You've been lied to about the Guardian's Office being closed - the same people are running the OSA under the same orders, proven in courts of law and American FBI raids.
So, yes, a Magistrate is a member of a powerful, controlling organization with criminality endemic to its very nature. Unless Scientology reforms and its leadership taken to task for crimes against humanity, its members will continue to blindly wear brown shirts, vilifying their critics in the same light they themselves are rightfully in.
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Terryeo
20 February 2008 at 19:14 Through my own efforts I have understood some Scientology and it has hugely increased my enjoyment of life. Would I like to see other people enjoy the same opportunity I enjoyed? Yes, yes I would. Have I seen it happen? Yes, but when you save someone's life or help a person and then spell out precisely what you did and what they did, you find some people simply can not believe it at all. And you find other people who supply you with 1000 reasons (none of which apply), and you find people who attempt to destroy, to actually destroy the possibility of being helpful to one's fellow. Mr. Hubbard understood these reactions. Baffling to most of us, the attempt to destroy good, was well understood by Hubbard. He wrote about how to understand that and I would say, designed his philosophy and and its resultant organization to utilize those reactions. I see several known critics have furthered Mr. Hubbard's designs by publicizing reactions
-Everyone has an individual relationship with the Supreme Being-
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A Nodding Mouse
21 February 2008 at 12:21 Do you believe it possible that Jesus Christ is a "Supreme Being", Terryeo? Is it possible to believe that Genesis is fact and also believe in Scientology, Terryeo?
How compatible IS Scientology and Christianity in reality, Terryeo? Tell those out there what you really mean by "Supreme Being", Terryeo.
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AnonOfMelbourne
21 February 2008 at 15:00 just my 2 cents here;
whomever it was going on some miniature rant of parroted and regurgitated diatribe they got from the lips of David Miscavige about psychiatry and the meds they prescribe
I'd like to point out that in every case where you mention a school shooting (shame on you btw for exploiting a tragedy to further your ludicrous agenda) you say straight out that
they went off their meds
implying in your own vitriolic statements that it was the medications KEEPING THEM FROM FLYING OFF THE HANDLE AND MURDERING INNOCENT PEOPLE.
if psychiatrists are evil and keeping possible nutters from blowing me away while i'm in class, then i'm all for the malevolent practices they employ
p.s. as a side note, going on 2 years ago now, i wanted very badly to hurt and kill myself and had a complete lack of motivation to even wake up or breathe each day
thank god/allah/shiva/jew-god that family and friends helped me get psychiatric help
i was prescribed with anti-depressants and am still on them and guess what
I'm not dead, i feel better about myself than i ever have, i haven't had one thought of hurting/killing myself since i was put on my medication, and im now engaged to be married with the woman of my dreams.
so i take it as a personal affront whenever one of your "church" attacks the good people practicing psychiatry
yes there was a side-effect for a week or two (light insomnia) but i'll take that over being DEAD any day of the week
And to you whom mock our anonymity, please forgive us for not wanting to be written up on some OSA roster to have our lives turned upside down (google Operation "Freakout" if youre allowed to) and circulated amongst your orgs, your camera men trying to get our identities are none to stealthy, im sure you can spot them yourself on the 15th if you have the courage to look.
I say it is you who is cowardly that you arent able to come out and speak with us openly or to the news cameras without getting the "ok" from osa first
are wogs really so terrifying? or is it that we might have something to say youve been told not to hear yet untill youve paid?
also, the semi-passive ways of brainwashing individuals employed by the "church" is only the somewhat public face of it
The RPF is where the true intensive re-education is done, things like sleep deprivation, confinement, low protien and degrading diets (eating the left overs of sea org members) complete isolation from everyone but the org member giving you orders, being forced to amend with the other RPFers by doing their chores in your free time thus further depriving you of sleep
this will go on continuously untill youve proven how much you want back into the fold
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stewart
21 February 2008 at 16:34 "I'd like to start a religion. That's where the money is." - NOT L. Ron Hubbard, but George Orwell.
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stewart
21 February 2008 at 17:10 Dear AnyAnonymous,
Re: Narconon studies
I do wonder what the peer-review of a valid study might be like, if the "peers" were opposed to Narconon from the get-go. I wonder, even if such studies were presented to you, whether yourself would actually take the time to look them over.
As I said, there are many many studies. One such was a study by Cecchini/LoPresti published in Medical Hypotheses in 2006:
"The Hubbard method of detoxification, a regimen including exercise, sauna bathing, and
vitamin and mineral supplementation, is a rehabilitative treatment intervention developed
to aid in the broad elimination of chemicals and thereby address adverse health affects
resulting from chemical exposure and tissue accretion [cit.]. Its safety and effectiveness
in treating a wide range of exposures have been established for more than two decades."
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stewart
21 February 2008 at 17:18 Dear AnonOfMelbourne,
Whilst I'm sorry to hear of the condition you found yourself in 2 years ago, did you ever wonder if there was a reason for it that had meaning to you, beyond assigning the condition to a chemical imbalance.
The drugs may suppress and numb such feelings, but perhaps the underlying reasons for the feelings are still there, ready to come back much worse when the drugs wear off?
All mind-altering drugs, whether street drugs or psychiatric, are originally taken for the same reason:
to get rid of unwanted emotional and mental states.
To give some analogies:
Isn't it a bit like refusing to open the red letters when you get badly in debt?
Or for a computer code analogy:
while( not dead ) {
try {
life.live();
} catch( Error e ) {
print( " I'm fine really " );
}
}
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stewart
21 February 2008 at 17:28 Dear AnyAnonymous,
I did enjoy the Bourne trilogy, but psychiatry's involvement in brainwashing is no secret, no joke, and no fantasy.
Your might like to try this book as a start point:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brainwash-Secret-History-Mind-Contro...
Meanwhile, whilst your psychiatrist may not have had malice towards you directly, and whilst I can only comment on individual psychiatrists to the degree that I personally know them, I hold that both the philosophy and practice of psychiatry is desctructive and un-scientific.
Wiliam Sargant, for one, was definitely a pure sadist. To follow in his footsteps, as many psychaitrists have done, is either equal sadism, or an extreme failure to think and evaluate for yourself.
Also, my reply to AnonOfMelbourne could be directed towards yourself, where you have chosen to take psychiatric drugs ...
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A Nodding Mouse
21 February 2008 at 19:12 stewart, the topic was not, and is not, psychiatry. The subject is Scientology. Do not change the subject. If people want the truth about Narconon, there is a simple test-call them up, ask them if they are NarcAnon(an already establish program with a fine record of helping people), then ask them if they are affiliated with the Church Of Scientology.
Then ask yourself-if they are not going to give you a straight answer about such simple matters now, what makes you think they will give you the straight dope once they have you by the financial, emotional and mental gonads, so to speak? Have pity on people like "stewart", because they couldn't back out now even if they were able to dare question what they have learned through indoctrination.
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beebee
21 February 2008 at 20:45 Hubbard built his philosophy about psychiatry because he got rejected by the psychological community he so badly wanted to be a part of. Your philosophy is based on the wounded ego of a man with a very vivid imagination.
While I will agree that there are things psych has gone too far with, I don't think that the baby should be thrown out with the bathwater as there has been quite a few useful advancements and studies conducted by the psychiatric fields (whether you agree with the findings or not).
I feel that there are useful things in scientology, but I think the CoS has gone too far... WAY too far. You guys have earned yourselves a very nasty reputation and it's a shame that none of scientology's contributions will ever be taken seriously because of it.
If you want to help the world, start with learning to get along better with it.
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Alexander Graham Cracker
22 February 2008 at 21:23 Stewart, Psychiatry is only ever used in brainwashing because it is a science of thought and of the brain, which is more than can be said about your "dianetics."
Claiming that psychiatry is evil because it can be used to brainwash is like saying that golf is evil because you can break someones kneecaps with a golf club. It's stupid, because you are obviously not against the tool used to brainwash, but are against the act of brainwashing itself.
Also, MK_ULTRA didn't explicitly use psychiatry to brainwash, it used mood-altering drugs like LSD and pavlovian conditioning to attempt to control the test subjects' minds.
And, to completely nullify your point, MK_ULTRA was one of the biggest failures the US government had ever experienced, with not one single successful attempt and a bundle of lawsuits against them by the test subjects.
So, to say that Psychiatry has been known to be used for brainwashing and mind control is ridiculous. The truth of the matter is that it was once used in an attempt to brainwash people, which failed, and could have some of its theories applied to a successful brainwash.
Still, a scientologist speaking out against brainwashing is pretty funny. What exactly is your Introspection Rundown if not brainwashing, hmm? Or the Rehabilitation Project Force, where you are put under massive demoralizing conditions and forced to work?
www.xenu.net
Knowledge is Free.
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excultmember
23 February 2008 at 06:32 "Why Scientology has been attacked"? It's because it is a cult that controls its members for the sake of power and money. Every person who took one step in and ran screaming knows that. Every person who was in for years and finally left, knows that. The only people who don't know that are those that are currently "in" the Church of Scientology. Can you spell "Truman Show"?
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Plups
23 February 2008 at 14:44 Stewart,
the "research" article to which you refer is another Scientology publication. The Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education is a Scn organisation. You can read more about it here: http://www.xenu-directory.net/documents/corporate/990s-fase....
Stewart, you sound like a decent person. If so, I'm sure you have some questions about Scientology and about what you're being told. I hope you'll take the opportunity to read extensively, beyond what is "authorised" reading. If Scientology is true, then the "Church" has nothing to fear from you being educated.
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Xenu is my homeboy
23 February 2008 at 19:16 Why is this in the faith section instead of the business or economic sections?
The Church of Scientology is all to happy to present itself as a religion, until you criticize it, then it will act like a ruthless enterprise protecting its assets.
I ask all members of Scientology reading this comment to ask why Mr David Miscavige has altered LRH's original "tech"?
Take a look at freezone, it is run by ex members and practices the same beliefs- for free!
http://scientologistsfreezone.com/
Why is there a volcano on the front of dianetics?
Find out!
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A Nodding Mouse
24 February 2008 at 09:06 Well, "kenneth"...oops, sorry(forgot about the new name)..."Dark Pan", I've just gotta ask-do you wait until morning to change to a new name, or do you post a certain number of times. You really aught to change up a little and maybe throw in posts from the old names to make it look as if you are different people that aren't taking turns posting.
Almost forgot-is there a reason that Kenneth lied about Narconon being associated with Scientology? Is that one of the reasons you've given him "kudos"(you really should drop that word, btw-you've used it under different names, and people with an I.Q. over 75 just might suspect something.)?
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MrChillyAnon
24 February 2008 at 19:53 Dark Pan...quick question for you...all of these posts here and on the dozens of other articles...you really think it's just me over and over and over?
MrChillyAnon
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JeanneB
28 February 2008 at 07:04 First, I want to thank Mr. Eckersley for writing the article and the others he contributed this week. I hope those visiting this site read the article, not the diatribes below. As a Scientologist I have also experienced personal miracles from the technology of Dianetics and Scientology and I appreciate Ken sharing his own story, despite the animosity it has engendered. "First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win." --Mohandas Gandhi
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A Nodding Mouse
07 March 2008 at 06:39 They laughed at Edison.
They laughed at Einstein.
Of course, they also laughed at Bozo The Clown.
Some things should be ignored.
Some things need to be laughed at.
Some things are worth defeating.
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Tam
11 March 2008 at 11:01 First they came…" is a poem attributed to Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) about the inactivity of German intellectuals following the Nazi rise to power and the purging of their chosen targets, group after group.
FIRST THEY CAME..."
When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
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Tam
11 March 2008 at 11:04 Are the only people posting in defense of Scientology Scientologists?
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