Since some of the materials which describe the $cientology cult could be
considered to be copywritten materials, I have censored myself and The
Skeptic Tank by deleting any and all possible text files which describes
the cult's hidden mythologies. I have elected to quote just a bit of the
questionable text according to the "Fair Use" legal findings afforded to
those who report. - Fredric L. Rice, The Skeptic Tank, 09/Sep/95
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From news.interserv.net!news.sprintlink.net!demon!user Mon Jul 17
09:49:45 1995 Path: news.interserv.net!news.sprintlink.net!demon!user
From: peter@petermc.demon.co.uk (Peter McDermott) Newsgroups:
alt.religion.scientology Subject: The Big Story: A review Date: Fri, 14
Jul 1995 14:07:07 +0000 Organization: Nefarious Enterprises Inc. Lines:
98 Distribution: world Message-ID:
<AC2C2A8B966812E96C@petermc.demon.co.uk> NNTP-Posting-Host:
petermc.demon.co.uk X-NNTP-Posting-Host: petermc.demon.co.uk
The Big Story
Well, ITV aired Twenty/Twenty's documentary on the Scientologists last
night, which might explain Woody's flurry of posting yesterday after
weeks of indolence. Perhaps he thought we would be so interested in
reading his posts, we'd forget to watch the show?
Well, for a half hour show, the production team did an excellent
job. They focussed on the fact that the real goal of Scientology,
'clearing the planet' was simply a cover for taking over the world
by ridding it of all opponents to Scientology -- a point that was
admirably expounded by Vaughn Young. (And I must say that contrary
to what the scieno's posted re. Mrs. Vaughn Young's appearance on
MTV, she looked in pretty good shape to me. Mrs. Young talked about
the fanatical Poodleboy, how he got off on bullying the staff and
how anyone who didn't think it funny was automatically suspect.)
Both Vaughn and Jon Atack talked a little bit about Xenu and the
Marcabs and the material in the higher OT levels, while Russell
Miller and Atack spoke about their experiences of the Scientological
policy of attempting to silence critics by intimidation. Yup, the
show featured a veritable battalion of famous critics. It was
particularly pleasing to see that Jon Atack was shown reading ARS.
Yes folks, it looks more BIG WINS for ARS while the nut cult is
ridiculed and humilated and exposed once again.
A central strand of the show was an attempt to show how the cult
operates by having a journalist get recruited. First, she was
trained in tricking the e-meter to get through the sec-check. Then,
she went to Poole and was accosted on the street by a clam, who
pretended he was doing some market research for a book and who duped
her into going back to the org. It was 90 mins before he mentioned he
worked for the nut-cult, but he obviously thought he had a big win
when she agreed to do a personality test.
Surprise, surprise, the test showed that she had all sorts of failings
and she was pressured by a registrar to sign up for a comm-course.
She was also tested by a real psychologist though, using a validated
scientific personality test, that showed the clam test to be another
cultie scam aimed at suckering dupes. She _didn't_ have the personality
problems that the cult claimed -- but then we knew that anyway.
So, off she goes to do her cure-all course -- having sneaked in a
camera to film what goes on. There were some _fine_ scenes. Like the
guy giving instructions to an ashtray. Or the other one who was pretending
to be a baby who had shit his pants. The mission was full of kids who
were also doing courses. Poor little clamettes -- brainwashed from
childhood. And of course, during this process, she underwent a form
of hypnosis during an auditing that was shown very clearly for what it
was.
She talked about how the routines _had_ produced changes in consciousness
--
especially staring into someones eyes without blinking for over an
hour, and being audited on painful events -- a process that reduced her
to tears, but was followed by a rush of euphoria. As soon as this happened,
they had her straight back up in the registrars office, selling her more
courses and enquiring into her financial situation. The mercenary tactics
that the clams use were highlighted to great effect, as was the control
techniques. At one point, her car overran it's time on the parking meter
and not only did a clam accompany her to her car, but actually got in
while she moved it. Apparently, they aren't about to allow you to get
out of their influence once they've got you.
So, after her final session at the org, the registrar has her up in
his office for a few hours, late at night, trying to sell her on a
course at Saint Hill. So then she goes on there. The first person she
meets is a Sea Org member who tries to recruit her. Then she gets a
gang-bang sec-check, which consisted of very detailed questions about
her sex life. Jon Atack pointed out how these would be used to blackmail
and silence critics. While she was there, she saw a document on Atack,
and snuck off to read it in the toilet. When she came back, the clams
had her arrested -- and did their usual shit with cameras and camcorders.
The Crown Prosecution Service has declined to press charges. Fortunately,
we don't kow-tow to clams here in the UK.
The program closed with people talking about how much money the cult
had suckered them out of, and ended with the story of a Scottish boy
who had borrowed thousands and thousands of pounds from banks in
Munich, and committed suicide because of the debt. In his note to his
mother, he said that she shouldn't worry, as he would, of course, be
coming back.
As she wept at his grave, she didn't look convinced.
A fine piece of clam bashing. Two ARShole thumbs up!
--
peter@petermc.demon.co.uk cool as fuck!
"Have you ever been a dishonest policeman?"
"Have you ever been a pimp?"
"Would you like a job that pays $700,000 a year?"