Criminon
Question answered by honorarykid in Scientology
escapee asked this question on 9/30/2000:
I was reading an answer by a believer in the good that
Scientology does, and she mentioned Criminon. Criminon didn't
even exist when LRH was alive. The word "crims" is a terribly
derogatory word that as far as I know, was David Miscavich's
origination. It was used as slang as the lowest of the low. It
was used to degrade. Now there is a "help" group called
Criminon? So what do they do, promise jobs in
the Sea Org? Is that where they recruit their staff?
What tech do they have to handle criminals?
On this point I am a disbeliever, because I know that the COS
routinely has thrown out people that are "difficult" cases, the
Potential Trouble Sources, they label people SP instead of
rehabitating because they have no technology to rehabilitate a
real suppressive person. So they are really being effective
helping criminals change their colors?
Convince me.
honorarykid gave this response on 10/3/2000:
Criminon is a public relations front for Scientology. It recruits
prisoners and convicts.
I'm not sure if it ever helps anyone in prison, but it most
definitely can plant some really bad ideas in some
unbalanced minds.
Charles Manson studied Scientology while in prison, PRIOR to
forming his own cult group. Then, when he got out, he
started his murderous "family." The rest is history.
Did Manson's examination of Scientology give him the
impetus to build his band of insane zealots? I can't prove
anything, but I think it definitely played a large role in
planting the ideas for building a band of loyal zealots in
Manson's mind.
On the day the shocking stories about the brutal murders of
Sharon Tate, her fetus, and the LoBianca's broke in the
newspapers, the CoS in Los Angeles organized a hasty effort
to destroy all records of Manson's involvement in
Scientology.
Was that an ethical thing to do? I leave that determination
as an exercise for the reader.
escapee rated this answer:
escapee asked this follow-up question on 10/7/2000:
Are you sure that Charles Manson formed his killer group after
he was in prison? Was he in prison more than once?
As I remember it, his visit to ASHO was about 1969, or
thereabouts. His name was known (not as a Scientologist) in LA
as a dangerous person then, and when those two young clears
were killed in LA in 1970 Manson was suspected. I thought it
was after that time that he started his prison term.
honorarykid gave this response on 10/7/2000:
Yes, Manson has been in prison more than once. He served
time for (I believe) a non-violent burglery charge. That's
when he was first introduced to Scientology. He formed his
"family" after he was released from that prison sentence.
I believe your suspicions about the killings of the two
Scientologists are correct. It's been a long time since I read
it, but I recall in his book about the Manson cult, "Helter
Skelter," author Vincent Bugliosi opined that the two
Scientologists may have actually been the Manson family's
first murder victims.
The cult members were never charged or convicted in those
two deaths. In fact, I don't think those two murders were
ever solved or their cases closed.
And, if I'm recalling correctly, Bugliosi also suspected that
Manson's group may have been responsible for a few other
unsolved murders around the L.A. area, as well.
Of course, the cultists were convicted for the two
well-known multiple murder sprees that were the final
evolution of the family's bizarre "creepy crawly" game, in
which they would sneak, en masse, into randomly selected,
occupied homes in the middle of the night, and creep around
in the dark.
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