Political?
Question answered by FreeZone in Scientology
FredricRice asked this question on 7/28/2000:
I've asked a number of Scientology experts a number of
questions and curiously I've received only two unusual
answers, both of which mentioned _politics_ when discussing
criminal activities which are going to trial here shortly.
For ex-Scientologists who have escaped from the cult, can
you tell me whether Scientologists are told to equate criminal
activities with politics? Are the criminal activities of the
GO/OSA considered _political_ activities inside of the
organization?
Though I erased the previous answer which considered the
indictments against Heber Jentzsch in Madrid to be a political
matter, I did manage to save the second one. I'll offer it here
for background in the hopes that someone can point to a
particular HCPL or something which equates criminal activities
as political activities.
Current Scientologists might also be able to tell me whether
management is now claiming that Scientology is a political
party. The answers I've received seem to indicate that
possibility.
Thanks!
cer56 declined to answer on 7/28/2000, saying:
This is obviously a political attack for a political agenda. I'm
not interestested in playing politics. I'm interested in what
works and helps people - based upon my personal nowledge
and experience.
Do you do anything that has a postive nature that doesn't
attack someone or some other group?
FreeZone gave this response on 7/29/2000:
The official policy on this this used to be, and so far as I
know still is, that Scientology is apolitical. "I hereby
declare Scientology to be non-political and
non-ideological.... Scientology is for a free people and is
itself on this date declared free of any polotical connection
or allegiance of any kind whatever." -
HCOPL 10 Jan, 1968, Politics, Freedom From
I would be quite surprised if this policy was explicitly
contravened.
Of course, the GO was political to the core, and the OSA
still is. The GO and OSA openly run groups that are
political/lobbying organizations. The GO was along with its
overt political activity also engaging in covert political ops,
running other lobbying/'public interest' groups whose
affiliation with Scientology was a secret. And of course it
ran direct covert ops against political figures. The OSA
probably continues similar activities.
Incidentally, the unofficial political ideology of the GO and
most career Scientologists when I was involved was
libertarianism. Many of the same people who were involved
in doing GO volunteer work were also involved in Libertarian
Party activism. Ayn Rand was very popular. Also a lot of
the more crank right-wing nonsense - 'None Dare Call It
Conspiracy', the John Birch Society, etc. The affinity of
Scientologists for elaborate conspiracy fantasies was
natural. Most of these people are now ex-Scientologists or
Freezoners, but seem to still have the same political
leanings.
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