This week it’s answers about the Creed of the Church of Scientology, how Scientology is represented in the arts, how this virus is showing us more plainly the darker side of religion and a lot more. Enjoy!

(1) I notice that Scientology has a “creed”, similar to how Christian churches have creeds they recite in their worship services. Who came up with the Scientology creed? When? Was it LRH? Or was it an addition added to Scientology after he died? Are Scientologists expected to memorise or learn this creed, the way some Christian churches do theirs?

(2) In what ways are members allowed to use Scientology in a an artistic setting? I have heard of songs being written about it, but what if someone wrote a novel about a detective who uses the “church” to help solve cases? Would that be allowed? Has it been done?

(3) I recently found your channel and have been binge watching your videos like crazy in quarantine. You’ve done some pretty amazing things with your platform – what is, in your opinion, the best experience or opportunity you’ve had as a content creator? I know you’ve collaborated with some amazing people and published your book, attended forums, etc. Are there any specific experiences that have impacted you the most, or been the highlights of your time as a public figure? If so, what makes these things so special?

(4) This may seem a strange one. But Scientology has sold itself as a “religion to the stars”. It also has its presence around the home of film and TV in LA. As cosmetic surgery, fillers and botox and such is so big in the TV and movie world, what happens when these members get fillers ir surgery and such. Scientology teaches that drugs and other substances lodge in the fatty tissues for life. If this is the case, shouldn’t every Scientologist be heading back to the Purification Rundown to sweat out these toxins. And if they do, how do they get over the fact that the sauna or steam room didn’t cause the fillers or botox to magically melt away like every other drug they think they sweat out.

(5) I wanted to ask your opinion on something I’ve noticed during the current crisis. Many of the world’s major religions have shut down holy sites and kept worshipers away. If they really believed, wouldn’t they think their god(s) would protect them? Various Christian groups across Europe have shut down churches and told people to stay away. In Saudi Arabia and Iran and elsewhere, Muslim leaders have shut down holy sites and changed the call to prayer to say to pray at home instead of at mosques. So, since you mentioned how Scientologists in the Sea Org used various methods to try and control norovirus outbreaks but yet still kept living in the same conditions, and because of your critical thinking approach, I’m wondering if you might have an insight on this? Why do ‘religious’ people behave this way? Is it cognitive dissonance? Is it compartmentalisation? I’m curious to know your thoughts.

(6) In The Expert Witness Jesse Prince mentions inserting “R6 End Words” or “R6EW” into Scientology’s legal documents to make the judge feel antagonistic toward Scientology’s enemies. In his words, “So, we are lacing our legal briefs with magic spells against our enemies, and this was not a joke.” I have Googled around and found very little information on R6EW. What can you tell us about this? How are they supposed to work, and what are some of these words?

This week it’s answers about Mark Bunker winning a seat on the Clearwater city council, how can we learn from the good parts of Scientology, how will COVID-19 affect religious and cultic thinking and a whole lot more. Enjoy!

Mark Bunker podcast

(1) I just heard that Mark Bunker had won a seat on Clearwater city council. (For the benefit of relatively new Scientology watchers, Mark is a long-time Scientology critic, whose engagement with Scientology goes back at least 20 years.) How do you think this makes Scientology leadership feel, especially since both Aaron Smith-Levin and Mike Rinder were involved in Mark’s campaign?

(2) How can we learn and harness the parts of Scientology that seem to actually work? For example, recently I watched a video of yours in which a woman said that as a girl her panic attacks were immediately cured after just one session or in Ron Miscavige’s book, if I remember correctly, he said that David’s asthma was quickly cured with Dianetics. Also, how did you meet your wife? You guys are very cute together and I bet there’s a good story there.

(3) Now with the corona virus crisis and people not able to meet up, do you think Scientology (and other cults as well) will be able to keep their hold? How do you think they will they keep up the indoctrination? Do you think a lot of people will leave their cults because they will have time to think about what they are doing? Or do you think they will double down?

(4) There’s plenty to be critical of in Trump’s handling of this coronavirus situation (the downplaying, the sacrifice of the time advantage in responding) but these racism accusations just look like grasping at straws. It is odd that it apparently needs to be pointed out that Chinese is a nationality not an ethnicity, and anyone claiming one can be racist toward a nationality not an ethnicity clearly doesn’t understand either concept. There was a point where the accusation of being racist once had true weight but it has been thrown around so flippantly and incorrectly that it has diminished the significance that label was always supposed to carry, and this has been done by the very people who fancy themselves progressive. This is a microcosm of a phenomena that has been occurring throughout his presidency: there will be a laundry list of legitimate, deserved criticism to be made of the man yet instead the media and the Orange Man Bad crowd will latch onto something petty and ridiculous. A pandemic virus circumnavigates the globe to delayed downplayed response and we’re going to go after the man in a game of semantics for political points? If a virus originated in America, in a town with a known viral research site, and then the American government suppressed and/or jailed any and all whistleblowers til they recanted or died, all the while that government lied about the virus’ severity to the world, would anyone hesitate to call it an American virus or be branded a racist as a result? Why is American media seemingly carrying water for an authoritarian government currently running the largest ethnic imprisonment since Hitler? This is so transparent and disingenuous it’s almost funny.

(5) I’ve seen your videos where you explained about how promotions and stuff work in the Sea Org and here are my questions:

• Are you aware of any US military veterans that have served in the Sea Org? If so, do you recall ever hearing their thoughts or opinions on the sea org’s paramilitary aspect?
• Are you aware of any online resources for studying the uniforms, ribbons/medals/badges/etc of the Sea Org? (I’m interested in comparing/contrasting to the actual military and other paramilitary groups)
• How much formal training was there for Sea Org members in regards to the naval traditions? Did anyone teach recruits how to salute, how to iron a uniform, how to march, etc? Or was it all more informal and absorbed though social osmosis? (Did anyone actually CARE about those things being done right by people who’d been “in” for a while?)
• Isn’t it convenient that the uniforms of the galactic confederacy just happened to look so much like US Navy uniforms, instead of French, Russian, or Spanish navy uniforms?

(6) One observation I have from watching your videos and checking out related information is that often people join religious groups due to some very intense experiences. Something which changes the way they look at the world and at spirituality. I also understand that (at least some of these experiences) can be created by “normal” methods, meaning methods that are understood by psychology and there is no need to rely on spirituality to explain them.

For example, I am thinking about the “high” feeling Scientologists have doing the “TRs”. Another example is what Derren Brown demonstrated in his show “How to convert an atheist”. I think in both cases the receiver is convinced that something supernatural is happening, something that can not be explained by science. As a result, they are receptive to the explanation offered and become a “believer”.

Do you have any advice for where/how to experience such an enlightenment safely? Personally, I would love to experience this myself. I also think this should simply be part of public education. It should be part of the curriculum at schools. Kids should learn algebra, experience what it feels to sprint 100 meters and experience how their own mind works. It should be available in community colleges. Heck, I think it should be part of traveling funfairs!

I was joined by my wife Melissa today for an impromptu Q&A live stream. Enjoy!

This week, it’s answers about Reckless Ben’s latest prank, how the Sea Org is very likely dealing with the Coronavirus, some straight talk about the media and a lot more. Enjoy!

(1) Have you seen the latest Reckless Ben video with them projecting “Scientology Sucks” on to Big Blue? What are your thoughts? Have you been in communication with them at all since they did it? Do these types of actions help or hurt the cause?

AND

What do you think about the Reckless Ben Scientology stunt?

(2) It just occurred to me that I listened to a video that said the Sea Org quarantines the sick together. I have the idea that they are in a big room like old pictures of sick wards. Are they still doing that? Are they connected to the news enough to quarantine correctly or will they deal with the fall out instead and what will that look like? How does the average public look at it?

(3) What is the Clay Table Processing on the Pro TR’s course?

(4) I think Tim Pool puts it very well in this video, particularly about the Gellman amnesia effect, but I’ll reiterate for the sake of a question format. The link is to a clip where Brian Williams and Mara Gay are discussing the amount of money Bloomberg spent on his election campaign and a glaring mistake in basic math is made and pontificated on at length, lamenting the nature of money in politics. If mainstream media, as Brian Williams and an editorial board member of the NYT certainly are, can makes this caliber of mistake on a concept most humans master by age 8 then how can we possibly trust them on issues of great complexity and nuance? I realize on the surface this just looks like an unfortunate gaff but I mean come on, they had a graphic cued up for this with a mistake in simple long division that made it past all the vetting of MSNBC and then was repeated by an anchor that has read news for over a decade and ironically a person whose job in journalism is editing for one of the largest newspapers in the US…. and I’m supposed to look to these people for accurate information and to fulfill the role of the 4th Estate?

(5) When you were a member in Scientology, did you disconnect, shun or ignore people who had left Scientology before you had left? And if so how did that play out. Also have you reconnected with them after you left Scientology?

(6) Was Hawai’i considered part of the west US when you were in the Sea Org? If so, did you get to go there for Sea Org business?

(7) Enjoying your book. I listen to it at work on Audible. I have a question, there is a picture of the Sea Org with David Miscavige and around 40 Sea Org members in the background. Have many of those people left or are most of them still involved?

(8) I don’t know if this has been answered before but I would like to know if it is only people below OT levels that get sent down the bridge to repeat things because of “errors”? I know this is part of the big plan to squeeze every last penny out of people, I just wondered if there was a cut off point, or is everybody a target? Is this done to some celebrity Scientologists as well?

This week it’s answers about how Scientology thinks about global events like the Corona virus, swearing in Scientology, do they truly want to rule the world, and a lot more. Enjoy!

(1) How do Scientologists interpret global events such as the current COVID-19 epidemic we are going through? I imagine religious cults such as Jehovah’s Witnesses are interpreting this as the start of the Great Tribulation or whatever end time event the particular cult believes in.

(2) What is the reasoning for the Sea Org habit of viewing swearing as trustworthy? Is it that they pick the idea of tact as being “phoney” and strive to do the opposite? Is it that holding back from swearing indicates self-control and the lack of controlling one’s emotions (in the very short term) is considered a sign of sincerity? Is it just that Hubbard used swearing and threats for emphasis and people picked up the habit from him?

(3) Having watched a recent Critical Q&A, I was struck that you openly called out Jackie Lacey. Not because it wasn’t well deserved, but because you weren’t afraid to pull any punches. Having watched all of your catalogue, I know that you have no time for sexism, but it got me wondering if your history in Scientology had an impact on your open mindedness on equality. While I loath most of what I learn about Scientology, something that has been interesting is that the progress has very little to do with life experience or gender. I’m just curious if you think ciritial thinking played more of a roll, your lovely bride, or that you were exposed to the fact that people are potentially carrying a history of past lives in which they could have been anything/everything. Thanks for your work.

I guess I’m asking if you think that one of the few good nuggets of Scientology is that people are not defined by their earthly bodies but by their character (ie thetan)? Or if that became more apparent to you later after discovering critical thinking? Was there a fair amount of sexism in Scientology?

(4) Is Scientology really striving to become the only government in the world? If so, it is no wonder, the German government is so hostile towards them. If there is one thing you can’t do here (I live in Germany), it is going against the constitution.

(5) If I went into an org just to drop off say some bags of cookies or chips or care bags of snacks for no reason, how would they react? I really don’t know why I feel the need to give comfort to strangers but I really do want to. Their lives are so miserable. I do give to the after math foundation but I want to do something kind for the people still in. How do you feel about this?

(6) What do you do to relax? Your wife must be incredibly supportive so make sure you keep hold of her.

(7) What do you plan to do after you die? This is actually a question my 9 year son asked me. What happens when we die?

(8) I was wondering, right now you have over 31,000 subscribers. Do you think you have more subscribers than Scientology has members?

This week it’s answers about where all the Scientology money goes, what kind of life Miscavige leads, some thoughts on Scientology recovery and a lot more. Enjoy!

(1) Where on Earth does all the money go? Scientologists worldwide spend vast fortunes to move up the Bridge, donate to the International Association of Scientologists, and support supposed humanitarian efforts. These so-called donations, often made under duress, leave some people in financial ruin. Where does it go? Where did it go when Hubbard was alive? It has been claimed that Hubbard donated most of his money upon passing (er, going exterior) and although Miscavige does appear to be living the high life, there must be more money out there. Something doesn’t add up. Who benefits?

My question today is something I’ve wondered about for quite some time regarding Miscavige. It seems he has lived most of his life inside the “walls” of the group, and I’m curious of your thoughts regarding how in-touch or out-of-town he really is with the real world. Is his world view so limited and narrow it impacts his ability to function in normal society? Does he ever truly have interactions in the outside world? Any friends or associates outside the bubble (other than attorneys & investigators essentially under his employ)? Could his extremely narrow world view and limited education so limit his vision he has become, well, just plain nuts? Thanks in advance for your insights. Perhaps others with inside knowledge could chime in via comments.

(2) We know that agencies such as the FBI have infiltrated organizations in the past and my question isn’t if the FBI should, but if the FBI could. Do you think any law enforcement organization (who had the financial means which would be substantial) could infiltrate Scientology to obtain the necessary evidence to prove some of the criminal accusations that have been made? And if they could, what would be the best place to get in?

(3) Without getting into any stories, I know what it is like to get out of situations and suddenly feel the freedom to think what I want, to form my own opinions, to not walk on egg shells, to not be afraid of reaction to my actions or lack thereof, and to be able to literally breathe without fear of any kind on any level. The freedom of being micromanaged & the feeling of other literally breathing down my neck.

A lot of stories people have shared on your show, Leah’s show, etc., have talked of not having outside contact or the freedom to just do what they want, when they want, or in some cases, what they can or cannot wear and eat.

My question to you is, did you feel that sudden weight lifted and that freedom too when you left? I’ve been curious about some of your guests and Leah’s former guests too.

How did you feel once you didn’t have to recruit, work, and all things Scientology? Did you feel like you could breathe for the first time? Did you have to “unlearn”, “deprogram”, “detox” in your own way or through professional assistance? To me it’s a level of PTSD that everyone experiences. I’m always curious about how people coped after leaving or escaping their situations.

(4) At some level in Scientology, there must be a person (or group of people) responsible for declaring people as SPs, sending out men with cameras to harass people, etc. How many people in this group are fully aware that Scientology is a complete scam? There must be a few “masterminds” behind all of the shady stuff. What does the church do to stop dissent among this group, and those that work under them? Surely, the direct underlings can’t be made aware of the true reasoning for what they are doing, right?

(5) Learning how the cult operates and its beliefs help to understand the state of mind the people in it are in. Is there a chance of an overthrow of the current leadership? Or the chance that a former paying member is attempting to start a revival of the old Scientology? A new branch of Scientology so to speak, bigger and more affective than the Freezone groups?

(6) You talked about steak dinner as a “wish” while on the SO. What was the first thing you treated yourself to after you left? I would imagine that would stick in your mind.

(7) L. Ron Hubbard said there is an implant station on Mercury and Venus. Mercury and and Venus are too hot to sustain any life. Do Scientologists know that these planets can’t possibly have inhabitants on them?

(8) Today’s headlines show Tom Cruise and the Mission Impossible 7 team leaving Italy over coronavirus fears and concerns. Given Scientology “teachings” discuss immunity and mind over matter when it comes to disease, why is Tom Cruise, who is such a control freak, letting this interfere with his filming? Does he think people are so entheta and he can’t muster enough theta to offset all the sickness?

This week it’s answers about why high-profile Scientology leaders can’t keep their wives, the mind control of auditing, some advice for former members and a lot more. Enjoy!

This week, the questions I answer are:

(1) How do Scientologists explain that men like Tom Cruise, David Miscavige and LRH, who are supposed to have almost super human powers, seem to not be able to apply those powers to their own marriage(s)? Seems like saving your marriage should not be as hard as saving the entire planet.

(2) I found the videos on Reckless Ben and Mike’s Scientology infiltration fascinating. Ben was adamant that he had been brainwashed during his auditing session, and, listening to it, no wonder. It was bizarre. I can understand that the uninitiated mind would have very little idea how to handle such a psychological assault.

Do you think that by engaging in auditing sessions regularly, albeit on the other side of the table, the auditors themselves are actually re-brainwashing/re-programming themselves? It would be a very effective way of ensuring that the Scientology masses self-police and maintain compliance without Big Brother having to stand over them.

(3) I initially joined as a public and received some introductory level services like TRs and intro auditing and Life repair, read some books, etc. These services were actually helpful and helped me in living my life with ease and flow. After Life Repair auditing, I also got free from a decade old sinusitis problem. And hence I got more hooked into Scientology.

However, when I signed up for TRs and Objectives co-audit course, I suffered problems during Objective ARC. For the first time I started having anxiety, my heart beats raced like anything, blood would vanish from my arteries in my hand, I would get up in the middle of night feeling afraid. Nobody at the Mission helped me. They did some corrective auditing but without result. They didn’t tell me what actually happened there. The only answer I got was “Something got turned on.”

In your experience with Scientology did anything like this happen to any preclear you saw? What actually happened there? Was it a nervous breakdown? Also a Red Flag was issued; what the hell is a Red Flag? I also got medical tests done but nothing appeared in them. Furthermore, after few weeks a Scientologist called me and told me that “LRH says that a person can become OT at any point”. Does she mean that I have become an OT?

Also, till that incident I would be enthusiastic towards life and would be focused in my efforts and used to like getting up early in the morning, enthusiastic for the day and going for jogging and exercise. However after that incident it has never been the same. I get up with a heavy head everyday, filled with anger / fear /sadness and thought patterns which don’t allow me to move forward enthusiastically and in a focused way. What can I do to regain my earlier mental status? Whom should I see for help – psychatrist or psychologist or anybody else?

I journelled about these thoughts for around 4 years after which the anxiety has reduced but still I have not been able to achieve that mental and emotional status. I loved that focused attitude and am unable to regain it. What can I do to achieve it back? Also, before this incident I used to take risk and make decisions and followed them through to the end to see if I got the result as expected and was open for lessons. However, after the incident it has been difficult to concentrate at my tasks and I am not able to take decisions confidently. I kind of keep hanging in the limbo between mind and heart, meaning my mind keeps feeling afraid in following my heart’s desire and my heart keeps stopping me from pursuing goals set by my mind. What can I do to come back into alignment? I really miss myself. One thing I can say for sure that Scientology is good in making a person believe that there is something wrong with them, even if there isn’t.

(4) I’ve been in Sea Org for almost 22 years and a year ago I blew. There were at first attempts to contact me and drag me back in, but I have just cut it off. I simply do not want to have anything to do with that group anymore.

You say you’ve been in there for over 20 years too. How has your recovery of this been? How did you get to your current life level? You had an occupation before you got in and now you just practice it for living or what? I am a translator and have been one for almost 25 years and now try to earn money by doing this, but honestly it is not enough and it is very hard to get a job because people are reluctant to take you after 20+ years of doing…what? I can’t even explain what I’ve been doing!

(5) Given how closely related Romulans and Vulcans are and given that Romulans have a greater propensity for violence do you think Romulans are as equally adept as Vulcans at using reason and critical thinking to solve problems?

(6) Just how many t-shirts do you own?

(7) My birthday is on the 8th of March which is also International Women’s Day. Does Scientology recognise International Women’s Day?

(8) I love cats and I just so happened to notice an adorable kitty behind you in that picture frame. But who’s the baby?!

Here it is, our 250th episode! This week, it’s an extended format with longer answers to tougher questions. I hope you all like the surprise appearances at the beginning too! Enjoy!

This week, the questions I answer are:

(1) I wanted to get your thoughts on somethings in Ben and Michael’s “Infiltrating Scientology” videos.

First, I was surprised that Ben’s auditor knew about Xenu. I was under the impression that it’s not likely that an OT III or above would be working in a Class V Org. Am I mistaken about this? If so in what way?

Second, since it appears Ben got busted for having mentioned Xenu, what do you think would have happened if nobody who was in the LA Org had gotten to OT III? Would Ben have been found out eventually for knowing about Xenu? If so based on your own knowledge, what is the most likely way he would have been found out if he hadn’t said Xenu to an OT?

Third question: Do you know if Scientology staff are given a list of buzzwords and told to report anyone who utters certain words or phrases?

Last question: You said on your show that the Church must really be going downhill since they chased Ben into a parking lot over $15, since you said when you were on staff you wouldn’t chase anybody down for less than $5,000. Was that based off of Hubbard policy, were you told only go after someone if the money amount is $5,000 or more, or was that just general practice in the Church when you were in?

(2) What is your opinion on anti-theism? I am an agnostic atheist and I tend to fall in to the “not-caring-about- your-beliefs-but-caring-about-what-you-do-based-on-those-beliefs” camp. I have heard from various sources that Gene Roddenberry was an anti-theist but if that was the case it sure didn’t seem to bleed over in to his ideas for Star Trek.

(3) Perhaps you have heard the audio recordings of Amber Heard and Johnny Depp recently leaked to the press. On the surface this story seems like run-of-the-mill celebrity gossip but it launches into a much more universal topic, domestic violence.

Let me preface this by stating my firm belief that aggressing upon another is morally wrong regardless of the gender of either party. A multitude of sociologists, psychologists and other human behavioral experts have spoken about the societal presumption of innocence most women are given, it’s even statistically reflected here in the USA in the lesser prison time handed to women as opposed to men for commission of the same crime. In the recording, we can hear Heard exhibiting classic abuser techniques (mockery, gas-lighting) while casually admitting to striking him.

Now it is highly likely that each of them was abusing the other, but if it was wrong when he did it shouldn’t it be equally as wrong when she did it? I think MRA’s are about as ridiculous as radical feminists but this does point to a disconnect in logic in much of modern feminism. They desire women to be societally equal to men (as do I, it’s a progressive and moral position) yet when confronted with the reality that women have an equivalent agency for being shitty, the woke apologetics are deployed en masse.

This also speaks to a wider problem within the #MeToo movement in that it is looking more and more like 21st century McCarthyism. There were/are genuine bastards out there who needed/need to be held to account like Weinstein and Cosby (just like there were genuine communists in America seeking it’s overthrow and/or destruction in the late 40s early 50s). Yet now that they’ve been exposed, we’re seeing them under every rock and bush, small transgressions between men and women are being deemed abuse and now people are conscious of the fact that to even lob the accusation is enough to bring about serious consequences and/or make one a social pariah. We’re seeing many people (mostly men) successfully suing their former universities for the treatment they received at the hands of these Title IX kangaroo courts. I suppose my question is how is this phenomena in the service of victims? How is side-stepping due process and equal protection of benefit to justice? I have a mother, a sister and innumerable other women in my life that I want to see thrive and I don’t see how this helps any of them.

(4) After watching many of your video discussions on cults/organized religions and what they do to be classified as such it hit me (this being election season) the Republican, and Democrat parties just might be cults too, separating you from your cash by saying whatever it takes to maximize donations and preying on your fears of the other party winning. Your thoughts? And, if they are cults, they are sworn enemy cults of each other. How weird would that be?

(5) So, I’ve noticed in my Facebook feed lately, there have been several of these ads where they promise the ability to leave your body and float around. Isn’t that something Scientology promises you’ll be able to do if you reach the top of the Bridge? Also, isn’t it true that nobody actually has ever been able to do it?

It’s something my mom was told in the 60’s, that she could do IF she was able to get into the right state of mind by meditating. Oh, she tried so hard! As a 6yr old, I never understood why she wanted to leave me behind and go floating around. Especially without her body, including her clothes! In my 6yr old mind, she’d obviously be naked on the ceiling…obviously! I’d sit and watch her “Ohmmmm Ohmmmm” for hours, waiting to see her nakedness fly around like Casper the Friendly Ghost. Nothing! I think I was more disappointed than she was, honestly. I don’t believe anybody was asking for money when she tried it. The stuff I’m seeing on my social media pages is trying to sell something, a book or a master class. I think it’s an absolute rip off. Maybe I’m just not inlightened enough. Just seems like a scam to me. What’s your take?

(6) I and none of my estranged family are involved in Scientology, but I go to the opposite side of the road of the Scientology shop in Manchester because I find the subject both fascinating but also respect that many people come out of Scientology virtually destroyed. One thing I can’t help wondering is the role that personality disorders play and also for example empaths who are in affect people pleasers, i.e. without boundaries and literally sacrifice themselves to be accepted. One can’t help but wonder whether some of the bigger Scientology fish are potential sociopaths or suffering from narcissistic personality disorder for example. It may take a psychologist or specialist in cults to answer these questions, but I was an empath without boundaries and surrounded by narcissistic family friends and partners until recently. They talk of the family of narcissistic members being like a cult.

This week we did a live stream Critical Q&A episode. I read out the questions as we went from the live commenters so they are not listed here but we covered such diverse topics as how long Scientology will be around, some more feedback on Reckless Ben and Mike’s infiltration of the Los Angeles org, lessons in critical thinking, whether Scientology should be banned in Russia and many other topics. Enjoy!

This week I talk about the recent Reckless Ben videos and how good they are, what is Focus on the Family and is it a cult, Independent Scientology and a lot more. Enjoy!

This week, the questions I answer are:

(1) Firstly thank you for all you do. I have never been and I never will even contemplate joining the COS. Not now or in any of my previous or future lives! Your approach to dealing with exposing the COS for what is really is is somewhat different to others like the Angry Gay Pope and more recently Reckless Ben’s hilarious send up where he infiltrated the church, obtained auditing and actually managed to join the Sea Org. Do you feel that this slapstick approach and direct action is counter-productive and lends credence to COS claims of harassment etc; or does it have a role in the whole expose of the church. To be honest I found you via the Angry Gay Pope.

(2) Have you heard of “Focus on the Family”? I heard a small amount of information on this & I don’t know if you ever heard of the saying sometimes a little information can more harmful then none, so I like to get more information on this. I am wondering if it is a destructive cult?

(3) A few weeks ago, Tony Ortega started featuring a daily quote from the “Freezone,” or Independent Scientologists, on his Underground Bunker site. Do you know where these quotes come from, where the “Freezoners” hang out? Wouldn’t they be less likely to talk freely online if they knew that people are reacting to their remarks with joking & degrading? Also, I know that non-Freezoners are not allowed to discuss the details of their Bridge progress with other Scientologists. Do you feel there is any benefit to these open discussions that indies are able to have? Finally, do you have any idea of how many Freezoners are out there?

(4) I watched the video you did with Katrina Reyes, a former Scientologist who immigrated to the US from Russia while in Scientology. She said Scientology kept up her immigration visa, right through her getting her green card. Since this takes many years, with lawyers’ time and fees as well as government fees, this can cost upwards of $10,000. I know a Freeloaders Debt is only supposed to be for services delivered, but do you think that Scientology might pass along the visa costs as part of the Freeloaders Debt if people leave like Katrina did? Or, do they just write it off as a business expense? I’m curious to know what you think about this.

(5) I’ve watched a good amount of your videos and I’ve been pondering asking this because it can be a sensitive topic. Personally, I am pro-choice. In some of your videos you have discussed that forced abortions have been a part of your personal history (and I’m sorry you had to experience that) and are still occurring in the Sea Org. In this country, there is talk and are attempts at trying to outlaw abortion completely. Scientology appears to have a few localized jurisdictions in their grasp, but do you think ‘the church’ would ever get involved at a national level to keep abortion legal? In the places where abortion has been functionally outlawed, what do Scientologists do in those instances?

(6) When they make a movie about your RPF book, which actors do you want portraying Chris Shelton and David Miscavige?

(7) If Danny Masterson stood on a street corner and shot people, would the LA County DA do anything?

(8) I have noticed that big urban cities have higher rates of homelessness. I live near Seattle, and homelessness is at an all time high. Does this have anything to do with the fact that urban areas are more socially liberal than rural areas?