Well, I was planning to do another Christmas entry, except I seem to be having various technical difficulties right now. So I’m afraid you’re going to be deprived of my wonderful photos of Bloomsbury in the snow. Sorry about that, please remain calm and do not do anything rash.

So in the meantime, let me tell you about my most recent brush with the Church of Scientology. It’s one of those organisations that exerts a strange fascination – not, I hasten to add, in any attractive way. I think it’s the fact that it’s so very sinister and yet maintains that it’s absolutely selfless and benevolent, and doesn’t realise how obvious the charade is. Anyway, a week ago I found our paths crossing once again.

The Church of Scientology has two outlets in London. One is the one near Blackfriars station. The other is smaller but more obvious, being on Tottenham Court Road near Goodge Street Underground. The dudes in Guy Fawkes masks outside are usually a dead giveaway. Anyway, I had a couple of hours to kill before a party last Wednesday, and was walking up Tottenham Court Road when a chap approached me and asked me if I would like a free personality test. I said that yes, that did sound quite japesome and went in. I didn’t expect them to actually invite me in, and I felt a bit like a vampire in an old-skool folk tale.

This was not the test.

I was given a personality test to fill out. This was something called the “Oxford Capacity Analysis Test,” which sounds terribly authoritative but has nothing whatsoever to do with the University of Oxford. It consisted of a series of yes/no/maybe questions ranging from “Do you often make tactless blunders?” to “Do you find it hard to consider suicide?” It also asked for my name, address, email and telephone number, all of which I gave, “my” in this case referring to an entirely fictional character developed on the spot.

The test was taken from me and I was invited to sit in a waiting area. There was a plaque on the wall giving people advice on what to do if they’d come here to be treated for illness. Strangely, the advice was not “go back up the stairs and out of the building, cross the road, turn left and keep going until you reach the actual hospital.”

"This is a wrong number! I am a free man!"

Then the results were fed into a computer and returned to me in the form of a graph. Some would argue that the human mind is a complex thing, and that quantifying it in mathematical terms in under half an hour using a standardised test is a ridiculous notion, but let’s pretend for now. According to this here graph, aspects of my personality that require urgent attention are, in their words:

• Unstable, dispersed
• Depressed
• Nervous
• Irresponsible
• Critical

“Inhibited” could do with work and the only things it seemed to think were healthy were “inactive” and “uncertain.” Also my “lack of accord” was a cause for concern, which frankly I take as a bit of a compliment.

Now, the reason I quoted the terms they used exactly was because, as you may have noticed, the terminology was a little odd. For instance, wouldn’t it make more sense to say “certainty” instead of “uncertainty?” Or  “responsibility” instead of “irresponsibility?” You’d almost think they were deliberately emphasising the negative side of things. Almost as if they, I don’t know, wanted to skew the whole thing in favour of making people believe they had personality disorders.

After the graph is printed off, you get taken aside by one of the nice volunteers and told what’s wrong with you (everything) and how to cure it (buy Dianetics). In my case, the volunteer seemed a little uncertain as to what was wrong with me, although apparently my results showed one of my flaws to be that I was likely to disagree with the things she said. A cynic might note that that’s a handy way of protecting yourself from criticism. Fortunately I am pure of heart and mind, so it never entered my head.

I was advised that I should buy Dianetics forthwith. For preference, I should buy the special pack containing the book and DVD (presumably because I appear semi-literate). I was informed that the book was superb, and had sold over twenty-one million copies. I asked the volunteer what the success rate was. She admitted they had no way of measuring, but apparently of the two thousand copies she herself had sold, only one person had come back unsatisfied.

I pointed out that high sales didn’t mean anything – Twilight sold massively, and that’s a big pile of shit. She then attempted to get chummy by asking what sort of books I liked. I said that China Mieville was a favourite. She expressed delight and said that she’d read one of his books and it was great. I asked her which one and she went a little blank. She asked me to list his books, as it had been ages since she’d read the book in question (so can’t have been that great). I went through a list of the books he’d written, putting a miniscule pause before The City and the City. This is a sort of Jedi mind trick to get a person to choose one out of a random list. Sure enough, she confirmed that that was indeed the book, and it was fantastic. It would have been churlish of me to point out that that book had only come out this year and so for it to have made such an impact and yet be forgotten was highly unlikely, so I decided to let her continue. But, you know, a Scientologist lied  to me, so I just thought I’d throw that out there.

I was pushed towards buying the book, being told that this was one of those occasions when I should be more impulsive. Furthermore, it was emphasised that they don’t do this to make money, it’s purely to help people. They might save money by being a bit less ostentatious, but what do I know? Anyway, I said I would “think about it” and come back the next day.

Haven’t done it yet, but, well, you know how busy it gets around Christmas.

Further reading

http://londonparticulars.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/an-open-letter-to-the-church-of-scientology/ - My attempt to be nice to the Church of Scientology, based on my last brush with them.

http://mephistolounge.wordpress.com/2009/12/12/encounters-with-mr-hubbard/ - Edwin Bannister is not so nice.

http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Family_blames_Scientology_for_daughter%27s_death - The story of a young woman who committed suicide after a poor result on the test.

http://www.factnet.org/Scientology/Robert_Vaughn_Young/19970824_Scientologys_Rigged_OCA_Personality_Test.txt - Turns out it is literally impossible to get a perfect result.

Christmas Show Round-Up

By Barry Eitel

With all those holiday shows out in Chicago right now, it’s hard to decide what to see on top of all the shopping and avoiding extended family. And there is something for everyone out there, from Dickensian classics to ones celebrating the seedier side of December. This season has seen a fairly controversial Christmas on the Chicago theatre scene. For one, there is the on-going feud between American Theatre Company and American Blues Theatre, both of which are simultaneously visiting the village of Bedford Falls with “radio” productions of It’s a Wonderful Life. Just a bit awkward. And then there is the whole Civic Opera Christmas Carol fiasco, where producer/ex-convict Kevin Von Feldt promised a cavalcade of stars and then the whole project somehow fell through. Not to worry, though. There is plenty of goodwill towards man out there to keep you entertained until January.

Luckily for you, the elves at Chicago Theatre Blog have put together a Holiday Theatre Guide to find the perfect show for you. So bust out the coffee and pumpkin pie, and enjoy our sleigh ride through the holiday theatre season.

IF YOU’RE IN TO LONG-STANDING TRADITIONS…

Go see the Goodman’s Christmas Carol (★★★½). The show has 32 years behind it and the list of actors who have played past Scrooges reads like a Hall of Fame for Chicago actors. This year’s version has a nice mix of the time-honored and the refreshing. Larry Yando does a remarkable job as Scrooge, bringing out new facets of the usually stiff character. Most of the production in terms of design has not changed over the years, but it still gets results emotionally (and financially). Even without overhauling the dusty script or design, Bill Brown’s strikingly honest production can melt even the most cynical Scrooges in the audience (our review here).

IF YOU DON’T MIND TRAVELING TO INDIANA…

Then The Christmas Schooner at Theatre at the Center (★★★★) is the show for you. Once usual fare at the now-deceased Bailiwick Arts Center, the show has moved on to its new home in Munster, Indiana. The Theatre at the Center production revels in furthering the orchestrations and design. Called the “most Midwestern” of the Christmas shows out there, the musical tells the tale of 19^th Century German immigrants, Christmas trees, and a ship carrying very important holiday cargo. With the vast amount of Equity actors and Christmas cheer, The Christmas Schooner is worth the trip (our review here).

IF YOU’RE A FAN OF ROCK OPERAS…

You should see the musical stylings in The Snow Queen  (★★★), the annual Christmas show at Victory Gardens. Adapted by Frank Galati from a Hans Christian Anderson story, this little musical tells the story of a girl battling an evil snow queen in order to rescue her friend. There’s puppets, live music, and plenty of reindeer. If you like your Christmas carols with a little more guitar and a little less pipe organ, you should head on down to Victory Gardens to catch this gem (our review here).

IF YOU LOVE SPECTACLE…

Then check out Redmoon’s Winter Pageant (★★½). The famously choreography-and-spectacle-oriented company’s foray into holiday shows is a wonder to behold. The show boasts a breakneck pace and very little dialogue, so it is sure to delight the entire family. With their focus on magical theatrics, Redmoon have created a show that celebrates what we love about winter (our review here).

IF YOU HATE CHRISTMAS SHOWS…

You should take a look at A Red Orchid Theatre’s A Very Merry Unauthorized Scientology Pageant (★★★).  Or take a look at the production going on at Next Theatre (★★½) in Evanston. Either way, you’ll enjoy these children acting out the history and theory of Scientology, as dictated by L. Ron Hubbard. And most likely, you’ll be a little frightened. Your inner cynic, however, will love the fact that children are pulling off this juicy satire about one of the world’s most lucrative religions (our reviews here and here).

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A SHOW UNDER 90 MINUTES…

Miracle on 34^th Street (★★★½) presented by Porchlight Music Theatre could be the show for you. Taking place at the Theatre Building Chicago, this adaptation is not really a straight musical besides a select number of Christmas carols. Through condensing the most memorable section of the classic 1947 film, director L. Walter Stearns comes in at a kid-friendly 80 minutes. Even with this abridged adaptation, you’ll be reminded why you fell in love with the story in the first place (our review here).

IF YOU’RE JEWISH…

There’s always the snarky Whining in the Windy City: Holiday Edition, the one-woman show at the Royal George featuring the sarcastic Jackie Hoffman. She plays the Grandmama in The Addams Family  (review – ★★★)  and rants in this show on Mondays, her off-nights. Hoffman whines about children, her current role at the Oriental, and, especially, the holidays, Chanukah or otherwise. It all makes for a pretty cathartic Monday night.

IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A TRIP TO BEDFORD FALLS…

Than two routes are available to you. You could either see American Theatre Company’s It’s A Wonderful Life: The Radio Play (★★★) or American Blues Theatre (comprised of many former ATC ensemble members) present It’s A Wonderful Life: Live at the Biograph!  Even though one does have an exclamation point in the title, both are well-done and feature decent performances and live radio sound effects. Yet both have their subtle differences, ABT relying more heavily on music and the charm of the Biograph Theatre, while ATC sticks a bit closer to the time period. Both stage/radio adaptations capture the charm and sentimentality of Frank Capra’s original film (our review here).

IF YOU’VE HAD A CRAPPY SEASONAL JOB…

Than you’ll identify with Mitchell Fain, who stars in Theater Wit’s one-man show The Santaland Diaries (★★★). A stage adaptation of David Sedaris’ delightfully subversive essay of the same name, the production follows the adventure of Fain as he works at Macy’s as the elf Crumpet. This is not a straight reading of Sedaris’ work. Fain brings his own personality to the play and inserts his own stories, making this quite a different experience than just reading the essay, like all good stage adaptations (our review here).

IF YOU’RE NOSTLAGIC FOR STOP-MOTION ANIMATION…

You might want to take a look at Annoyance Theatre’s live action version of Rankin /Bass’ 1964 television special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (★★★½). Surprisingly, Annoyance does a faithful translation for the stage, considering they’re known for their destruction of anything sentimental (the show is running alongside Cockette’s: A Christmas Spectacular). With the music and characters of the beloved original, this Rudolph is meant to enchant theatergoers from 1 to 92 (our review here).

Although there are only a few days before Santa comes around, there are still plenty of options offered by the bounteous Chicago theatre scene. Don’t be fooled into thinking this guide presents everything out there, either. For some other offerings, check the review listing on the side.

Christians are hypocrites. I don’t say this to be mean or smug. I say this because I want them to think critically about what they believe so that they can free themselves from the oppressive cult they’ve been mislead (albeit with good intentions) into believing. Anyone working in the mental health field will tell you that if you have a problem, the first step to recovery is admittance. So in order for Christians to snap out of their destructive habit of cognitive dissonance they need to realize that they’re being hypocrites.

The specific aspect of their hypocrisy I want to talk about right now is their acceptance of prophets. Consider everyone throughout history and around the world who have claimed to be prophets but weren’t/aren’t accepted by traditional Christians: Joseph Smith of the Latter-Day Saints, Muhammad of Islam, the Dali Lama of Buddhism, L. Ron Hubbard of Scientology, David Koresh, Jim Jones, Sun Myung Moon, etc., etc., etc.

Why do Christians discredit these false prophets? Is it just because they weren’t mentioned in the Bible? Yes and no. “Yes” because if they had been mentioned in the Bible then Christians would believe in them. “No” because they all fail the test of reason. Christians understand that common sense tells you their stories were fabricated.

If you haven’t dwelled on this point at length it probably still crossed your mind the first time you heard about these false prophets. In fact, their stories are so transparent that it only takes a semi-conscious half moment of thought to size them up and dismiss them for the fantasies they are. But let’s take a look at them again anyway. Consider what all the false prophets have in common. They each made outrageous claims about being specifically chosen by God to deliver a special message from God to humans (which conveniently always resulted in the prophet receiving copious amounts of adoration, and/or power, wealth, and sex). Furthermore, most of them claim to have been literally visited by magical beings, witnessed magical events and were usually given some sort of magical power.

In short, all the prophets’ stories are scientifically impossible based on what we know about how the universe operates. It’s obvious God didn’t give Joseph Smith some magical golden plates. It’s obvious God didn’t reveal Himself to Muhammad on the road to Medina. It’s obvious the Dali Lama wasn’t reincarnated. It’s obvious L. Ron Hubbard was a science fiction writer desperate for a paycheck who wrote the most profitable fantasy story he could think of. Why is it obvious? Because God told us? No. Atheist and Christians alike all over the world have figured out that those stories were bullshit because we put them to the test of reason and evidence, and when we did that we found those stories lacking.

We know these things to be true, and yet when Christians look at their own religion they don’t practice what they preach. Take the apostle, Paul for example. Paul was smitten with the image of God on a journey from one place to another just like Muhammad. Afterwards magical scales formed on his eyes until he made it to the end of his journey where they were miraculously removed. Afterwards he was imbued with the authority of God and angels helped him along his way.

The double standard is obvious. Paul’s story is full of magical events that are impossible. Not only that, but his message is full of the same kind of culturally relative social standards that betray the humanity of other false prophets. God may be unknowable, but common sense tells us that the creator of the universe would never command us to kill the infidels anymore than he would tell us that women aren’t allowed to speak in church.

The case becomes even worse when we apply Christian standards of prophet-judgment to Jesus. Think about it. We can’t prove that anything Jesus did actually happened. We can’t even prove Jesus actually existed. Based on what we know about how the universe operates we know that all the magical events that supposedly happened to and around Jesus couldn’t have happened, and even though there was some wisdom in the words attributed to Jesus he also promoted a lot of culturally relative social standards as well. What if Muhammad approved of slavery? Wouldn’t that betray the fact that he doesn’t speak for God? Well, Jesus approved of slavery. What if Muhammad started out his career as a prophet advocating racism and then halfway through his career said, “Wait a minute. Maybe racism is stupid.” Would anyone believe that God’s only prophet would be so daft? Well, that’s what Jesus did with the gentiles.

Even if you have faith in Paul and Jesus, you have to admit that believing in their stories doesn’t just require having passive faith that improvable events happened but requires you to actively believe in events that contradict reason and evidence. Not only that, but in order to believe those implausible stories and nobody else’s you have to exercise and even celebrate cognitive dissonance. To put it bluntly, you have to be an ignorant, close minded hypocrite. I’m sorry, but it’s true.

Again, I don’t say this because I want to bash Christians. I want to point out that the Bible obviously isn’t the word of God so you can stop worrying about it. Do something enjoyable and productive with your life instead of prostrating yourself before the contradictory and oppressive dogma of a couple of manipulative megalomaniacs from a foreign culture who have been dead and gone for thousands of years.

L. Ron Hubbard
1951

I jumped on the opportunity to pick this book up.  And I know, it’s not in good shape – probably the worst in my collection aside from my reading copy of City and my ex-library Iceworld.  At $52 for this the price perhaps is a little steep, but from what I can determine it’s not outrageously too much for this title in this condition.  Let’s check out the damage.

I can use one word to sum up the condition of this book: shabby.  You can see the spotting on the jacket and the spine is noticeably faded.  The artwork by David Kyle is a little unconventional, but I like it nonetheless.  Sans jacket it’s not much different.
I really like the imprinting on the front board as GP did for several of their earlier titles.  In this case a cool confluence of the Fear eye and the Typewriter ribbon.
The top and bottom view, along with the close examination of the spine extremities only reinforce the overall first impression.


The spine is a bit wobbly and has a slight lean.

Both the head and tail of the binding are quite badly bruised.
Here’s a closer view of the nasty wear on the top rear edge of the front board.

The jacket, as you noticed over the last five pictures, is in generally poor condition.  Foxing, discoloration and overall wear.
Opening it reveals further misery.  One lengthy split along the front hinge…


..and another beginning to develop in the rear.
The back of the jacket is consistent at least.
Year: 1951
Paid: $52
Art: David Kyle
Quantity: 4000 copies
Binding: Tan boards with black lettering on the spine with a ‘typewriter ribbon and eye’ device embossed on the front board.
GP Edition Notes: 1st edition so stated.
Comments: A shabby but important addition to my collection.  I’m in two minds about the worth at that price.
Expand Upon: wikipedia.com, Internet Speculative Fiction Database

Next time you run into a C of Mestology assertion that to think is betrayal, that to search for facts is evil, or that to question authority is out ethics, here’s a little quote you can use:

“For the bulk of the last 2,000 years the main Western educator – the Church – worked on the theory that man should be kept ignorant. A population that is unable to think or reason can be manipulated by falsehoods and wretched causes.”

- LRH, Data Series 2 Logic

The C of Mestology has quite a propaganda campaign underway against Independence and Independents.  There are briefings to “OTs” and public going on that DM is under an unprecedented attack by “SPs” and thus Idle orgs and IAS donations are critical. There is a program operating that calls for sending plants into the Independent field stirring up Third Party and doubt. When outed the plants are instructed to create as much noise as possible, accusing Independents of injustice and operating on false reports.  The intent is to drag us into DM’s GPM (create an Op Term to stoke up the escalating coerced donations game – see The Great Middle Path Redux, this blog).

I heard an LRH lecture recently that talks about the Cop terminals needing to create Criminal terminals which reminded me just how much of the Cop terminal the C of M has become. The conclusion of the lecture imparts some very timely advice:

So we conclude there that you must be able to have an independent attitude toward existence, regadless of the circumstances of existence. It is obviously possible to have an independent attitude toward existence, independent of an existing attitude toward existence. And it is not necessarily certain that the indpendent attitude of existence is going to succumb to the general attitude of existence. This is not an absolute certainty.

Well, we started out talking about postulates. A person can have an independent attitude toward existence, regardless of what is going on, and make things better or worse at will, to the degree that he retains his confidence and faith in himself and his ability to make postulates.

He can say he feels this way, and he feels this way. But he has to be able to trust himself, to say that. He should be able to say, “I can persevere; I can succeed” and then succeed. He should be able to say, “Well, I guess I’ll fail this time” and simply fail. He would have to be alike unimpressed by winning or losing. He would have to be somewhat unimpressed. But he would be able to do that. He could then take command of the existing situation or better any situation without being tremendously influenced by the circumstances which surround him.

What do we call this? We call this self-determinism.  An individual, then, is as capable of happiness or livingness – I would rather call it livingness – he is as capable of living as he is capable of determining the actions of himself and others by a simple postulate.

And an individual who can do this is a giant amongst his fellows. And an individual who can’t, has been, is and always will be a slave.

- L. Ron Hubbard, 4 June 1955, Component Parts of  Beingness.

Beginning with a man born in Tilden, Nebraska, and making its way to the big screen, Scientology has found its fame in Hollywood and is now in the spotlight around the world. The Church of Scientology is growing in numbers and wealth by leaps and bounds. Well known actors such as Tom Cruise, John Travolta, and Kirstie Alley are all advocates of the Scientology movement. Once labeled as modern science, Scientology became known as a religion in 1954 founded by Lafayette Ron Hubbard. While Scientology claims to be pan-denominational (open to all religions or beliefs), its fundamental teachings are not God centered, but are predominantly man centered.

L. Ron Hubbard was born in 1911 and spent most of his early years on the Montana farm of his wealthy grandfather and his teenage years were spent traveling extensively around the world with his father, who was in the navy. In his book, Understanding Sectarian Groups in America, George Braswell states that it was in China and India where Hubbard first became infatuated with the spiritual destiny of man (234). After that, Hubbard spent much time studying eastern religions, which included eastern mysticism. While Hubbard studied at George Washington University, he became involved in one of the nations first nuclear physics programs. Hubbard later became a prolific science-fiction writer which contributed to his accumulation of great wealth.

Hubbard became well known for his work entitled Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, which was written in 1950. Dianetics means “through the soul,” and seeks to expose the source of all of man’s insanities, psychosomatic illnesses, and neuroses (Larson 365). Hubbard taught that man was basically good and has descended from the gods and has potential, through evolution, to reclaim his thetan potential (Larson 367). A direct quote from the Church of Scientology’s home page is helpful in understanding their beliefs:

Scientology holds in common many beliefs of other religions and philosophies. It considers Man to be a spiritual being, not just flesh and blood a very different view to that held by common scientific thought which views Man as only a material object, a complex combination of chemical compounds and stimulus-response mechanisms.

Scientology believes Man is basically good, not evil. Man’s experiences have led him to commit evil deeds, not his nature. Often, he mistakenly seeks to solve his problems by considering his own interests only, causing trouble for both himself and others (Official Church of Scientology Home Page).

Scientology teaches that in order to gain full potential, man must be awakened to understand that his surroundings are what limits him and causes pain and weakness. Basically, Scientology teaches that man is essentially not responsible for the depraved state he is in, only a victim of circumstance.

Scientologists use an e-meter, which was developed by L. Ron Hubbard, to discover engrams (traumatic experiences in the past). These traumatic events could have been from previous lives. Hubbard believed and taught that the human race descended from “uncreated, omnipotent gods called thetans, who gave up their powers to enter the Material-Energy-Space-Time (MEST) world of earth…gradually evolving upward to become humans who could not remember their deified state” (Larson 366). In other words, each person has potential to return to their thetan position as an omnipotent god. Dianetics is the method designed by Hubbard to clear out the engrams that holds man back from returning to his original position. An individual is determined to be a “thetan” when all reactive mind responses have been audited (cleared) out (Larson 366). Scientology seeks to help mankind find truth in a world where everything seems relative.

Hubbard’s method of Dianetics consists of eight dianetics that address the part of the mind that lies below the consciousness of man. These dianetics are said to help bring man to total freedom and truth, they are called the “eight urges of survival” (Official Church of Scientology Home Page). The dianetics begin with man’s physical welfare at the center and moves out to man’s spiritual welfare and ultimately god (creator) as completion. To reach the seventh level is to understand man’s spiritual existence and only then can the creator be known. Survival is considered man’s main motivational tenet by Scientologists.

Members of the Church of Scientology are normally well respected individuals that have high moral standards and are conscious of the environment in which they live. Most members are upper middle-class people that tend to be wealthy. Sessions to audit and clear a person from engrams range from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. It is easy to see how the church has accumulated so much wealth.

Scientology has greatly impacted today’s culture by presenting man as the center of all things. Scientology teaches the opposite of total depravity. Scientology is not an orthodox religion that believes truth comes only from a divine Creator. The truth that is relied on in Scientology is from a man, L. Ron Hubbard. Hubbard was assigned the position of authority by the Church of Scientology while he was living, and his writings still remain as the basis for truth. Hubbard did not focus on the study of God’s truth, but on man’s ability to free himself from any restraint that may be holding him back.

Scientologists offer a free personality analysis that is part of their effort to evangelize and recruit new members. The analysis is very appealing to individuals that are seeking the meaning of life. This way of recruitment is very effective because it gives people hope of reaching their full potential in life and prepares them for the afterlife. After all, people are desperately seeking answers to the meaning of life.

The Church of Scientology claims to be open to all religions and does not persuade anyone from a particular religion. However, Hubbard’s philosophy was to recruit as many as possible to his religion, including major figures such as Walt Disney, Ernest Hemingway, Howard Hughes, and Groucho Marx, and even offered a reward for reaching one of these individuals (Farrow 29). Hubbard saw what he could gain from getting influential, wealthy individuals to promote his newfound religion. Could it be that Hubbard actually wanted to help people, or did he wish to gain riches and power through the church he started?

Even Hubbard’s own son, Ronald E. DeWolf, denied his father’s teachings and changed his last name so he would not be associated with his father’s theories. Hubbard’s son actually referred to his father as “one of the biggest con men of this century…who concocted his theories while under the influence of drugs” (Larson 368). It seems as if Hubbard had many flaws to overcome for a man who claimed to have achieved thetan status.

It would be a fallacy to state that the Church of Scientology is not sensitive toward the well being of others, especially those within the church membership. However, it seems to be the wealthy that receives the help because they are the only ones able to afford the counseling sessions. The Church of Scientology is not much on reaching out to the poor and needy. There is no free gift offered with Hubbard’s gospel, only good news with a hefty price tag.

To Hubbard, Christ would have been merely a man who totally cleared himself of all engrams; although, it is not certain how Christ could have ever come to an understanding of how to clear out the negative and traumatic engrams without the help of Hubbard’s e-meter. Actually Christ preached just the opposite of Hubbard’s teaching. Christ claimed to be God, and that He was the only way to God (John 10:30; 14:6). The Church of Scientology teaches a different way to God. Similar to all other cults, Scientology denies the deity of Christ as the Creator God, and promotes works salvation.

The Church of Scientology not only denies Christ as an authority, but it denies the Word of God as the final authority. As previously mentioned, Hubbard was assigned the position of authority by the Church of Scientology, thus his writings are still viewed as authority for the church. There is a definite problem in regard to Scientology being pan-denominational if it regards Hubbard’s teachings over the Bible. In essence they might as well claim that the Bible is not true in its entirety. Jesus, while praying to the Father, asked Him to “sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). Either Hubbard’s teachings are correct or the Word of God, but both can not be true.

God’s Word is stated as the only truth profitable to man; it exposes the bad and gives instruction for righteous living (2 Tim. 3:16). The e-meter has no way of exposing man’s sin because Scientologists do not call it sin. The Church of Scientology offers man another way of salvation, a way that is more appealing because it is for man’s own glory, not God’s. Christianity is about God’s glory not mans. To believe in Christ an individual must first have a proper understanding of why Christ is needed; that is not taught by the Church of Scientology. Scientology teaches that man can do it himself, the Bible teaches that man is totally depraved and does not seek after God (Rom. 3:10-11). Total depravity is not total inability; man can come to a saving knowledge of Christ, but he must come on God’s terms (John 10:7-9).

In Scientology, faith is placed in Hubbard’s teachings. Faith also must be placed in the accuracy of the e-meter and on self-goodness. Only through many sessions of counseling (auditing) can an individual reach the point of becoming clear of all disturbing events that happened in past lives in order to reach, what Scientology compares to salvation, the thetan status. In other words, it takes faith in man, machine, and money to reach the end goal of Scientology. Grace through faith is totally disregarded in Hubbard’s method and Christ Jesus is nowhere to be found.

Scientology teaches that heaven and hell do not actually exist and that man just lives on after physical death; perhaps to become something or someone else. This process of reincarnation is what led Hubbard to believe that thetans lost their identification, but once thetan status is reached then man’s life is complete and he is returned back to his original deified state. Jesus was very explicit when describing a literal hell that exists for the devil and his followers, as well as all who reject the gospel message of Christ (Mark. 9:43-48; 2 Thess. 1:7-9).

Hubbard’s theory that there are many gods is in total contradiction to the Bible. God’s Word states that there is only one God: “the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy” (Isa. 57:15). The God of this universe is to be worshipped and He will not tolerate the worship of any other god (Deut. 6:4, 15).

After a comparison with the Holy Scriptures, the Church of Scientology comes up short in its beliefs concerning God, man, and salvation. Scientology is a man centered religion that promotes unity but denies it with its teachings. It seems to leave out the poor and needy and cater to the upper middle-class and above. Jesus Christ would even be left out of this wealthy religion. Scientology is a reminder of the rich who cast much into the treasury and the widow woman who cast in one mite, which was all she had (Matt. 12:41-44). This widow woman could not get far with one mite in a session with a Scientology counselor today. There was a reason Jesus said: “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:25). Riches or works may not keep a man out of heaven, but they definitely will not get him in (Tit. 3:5).

The Church of Scientology is drawing members at a rapid pace, becoming more attractive to individuals in today’s society. It draws principles and teachings from various religions to form its own teachings. Ultimately it denies the truth of God’s Word to manufacture its own truth which has in no way ever been proved, but of course, Scientologists would claim the same about Christianity. However, Christianity has a divine source of truth that has never changed, and has proved itself over thousands of years of criticism by standing firm as the only foundational truth.

Unfortunately, the Church of Scientology is attracting members from mainline Christian churches with their teachings; this is also true of other sectarian groups. Christians must reach out to those attracted by, and involved in, the Church of Scientology by sharing the only true gospel message with them, how all men are sinners and Jesus died for sinners, not how man’s deeds are evil because of past and present circumstances.

Although Scientology does refer to a god or gods, it does not set the focus on God, but places all emphasis on man for his own eternal destiny. Hubbard was obviously an intelligent man, but unfortunately a very lost man who has led thousands, if not millions, astray with his false teaching. Satan is hard at work deceiving man into believing he can make it on his own. Scientology is just one of many tools Satan has chosen in order to solicit men to follow after him, and to confuse the truth with a lie.

Works Cited

Braswell Jr., George W. Understanding Sectarian Groups in America. Nashville: Braodman, 1986. Print.

Farrow, Boyd. “The A-listers’ belief system.” New Statesman 134 (2005): 28-30. Wilson Web. George M. Manuel           Library, 1 Aug. 2005. Web. 25 Nov. 2009. <vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/results/results_single.jhtml;hwwilsonid=HJY0EMBWTXHBRQA3DIKSFGGADUNGIIV0>.

Larson, Bob. Larson’s New Book of Cults. Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1982. Print.

Official Church of Scientology Home Page & Online Videos – What is Scientology, Scientologist Beliefs, Spiritual Healing with Dianetics. 2006-2009. Web. 25 Nov. 2009. <http://www.scientology.org>.

Ron, Hubbard, L. Dianetics the modern science of mental health. Los Angeles, Calif: Bridge Publications, 1999. Print.

The New Pilgrim’s Bible. KJV Student Edition ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2003. Print.

Urban, Hugh B. “Fair Game: Secrecy, Security, and the Chruch of Scientology in Cold War America.” Journal of the American Academy of Religion 74.2 (2006): 356-89. EBSCOHost. Web. 25 Nov. 2009. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=6&hid=2&sid=e7dd0b2f-1e82-409e-989e-80b66c2236bb%40sessionmgr13&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=rfh&AN=ATLA0001532857>.

Species Name:  Crazyasshiticus Richbastardius

I cannot for the life of me, figure out why it’s taken me this long to thin these crazies from the herd, but better now than never.  Seriously speaking though, these guys are completely fucking bonkers right?  I mean, I’m not one to be a proponent of organized religion, and think it’s all kind of horseshit to a certain extent, even though I do identify as Jewish.  But Scientologists think they have been reincarnated from past lives lived on other planets in the universe.  I mean these guys make Gary Busey look like the poster boy for sanity.

In my opinion, Scientology is nothing more than a wealthy, elitist cult created by L. Ron Hubbard who laughed all the way to the bank…and his death.  I mean they have a process of cleansing your soul called “auditing.”  Shit man, if I wanted to audit, I would’ve gotten a job working for the I.R.S.  No wait, scratch that, I would’ve killed myself.  I’m kind of curious how they manage to rope these wealthy celebrities into becoming members of the Church.  I would if they stage phony press junkets, and then use the old hypnotic spiral to brainwash them while L. Ron’s voice speaks softly into their ears, making them feel at ease.

However they swindle these morons with more money than they obviously know what to do with, they do, and these “thetans” wind up pouring millions of dollars into this “religion” and worshipping some galactic being known as Xenu.  Xenu?  That sounds like some villain from an episode of “Buck Rogers” or “Flash Gordon.”  Before I dive into how wonderful the world would be without these nutbags, I have to share a little tidbit of the story of Xenu.  Apparently 75 million years ago, Xenu brought billions of people to Earth in a spacecraft, stacked them around volcanoes, and then detonated hydrogen bombs in the volcanoes, sending clusters of “thetans” to stick to the bodies of the living.  Whaaaaaaaaaaa?

In a world where Xenu’s spaceship would’ve crashed into Mt. Everest negating the ridiculousness that is Scientology forever:

• Tom Cruise would still be crazy, just maybe not quite as crazy.
• Jenna Elfman would’ve stayed the no talent ass clown that she is and I wouldn’t have had to get that lobotomy to remove the memory of “Dharma and Greg” and “Accidentally on Purpose” from my brain.

• Kirstie Allie would’ve spent more time on the treadmill and less time praying to Xenu while eating boxes of Krispy Kreme donuts.
• Sonny Bono might not have hit that tree.  Damn you Scientology for taking away one of the greatest entertainers of the last century! (Did my sarcasm get conveyed there?)

• Jeff Conaway?  How can that guy be a Scientologist?  He pops pain killers like Tic Tac’s.  He was on “Celebrity Rehab” for Xenu’s sake!  Doesn’t exactly seem like it goes along with the pure living lifestyle purported by Scientology.

• John Travolta would’ve never signed on to do Old Dogs.
• Edgar Winter would’ve been more than a one hit wonder, although “Frankenstein” is a bad ass song.

• Jason Lee would’ve never signed on to do Underdog or Alvin and the Chipmunks, and the forthcoming sequel you pathetic sack of shit.
• Juliette Lewis wouldn’t give off the impression that she could snap and kill someone at any given moment.

• We all would’ve been spared from whatever the hell Battlefield Earth was.  “You know what would be rad?  John Travolta in dreadlocks and green alien eyes!”  Dipshits.

I wish I could give these people the benefit of the doubt but I can’t, they’re idiots.  How about instead of standing around some volcanoes…you guys just jump inside.  Thanks.

But one has to have dreams right?

Most people think of “crazy” when we hear ”Scientologists” but how many of us relate them to Satanism. Well, there is a solid connection of the two that you might be surprised to learn. Basically, Scientology is Satanism with a new name. This video from Good Fight Ministries shows you the connection. Get informed and pass it along.

Limited Direction Hampers “…Scientology Pageant”

Next Theatre presents:

A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant

By Kyle Jarrow
Concept by Alex Timbers
directed by Kathryn Walsh
thru January 3rd, 2010 (ticket info)

Reviewed by Paige Listerud

The boxy proscenium studio theater space at Next Theatre creates challenges for any of its productions. It produces visual perspectives that tend toward the two-dimensional and contained. One would think that wouldn’t necessarily detract from a satire qua children’s pageant. Yet the set design (Grant Sabin) for Next’s seasonal production, A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant, is strikingly flat and unimaginative. Kathyrn Walsh’s direction stays contentedly—and without irony–within its confines, for the most part stationing the pageant’s child actors on three-tiered risers that further distance audience from performance.

It is the staging that dulls the tooth of this anti-religious-scam slam fest. Children re-enacting with absolute earnestness the life of L. Ron Hubbard, the modern prophet of Scientology, is a premise with Wildean potential. But, for all it’s self-touted edginess, in close collaboration with the show’s Obie award winning creator, Kyle Jarrow, Next has pulled its punches and stayed closer to conventional home.

Awkward scene changes and uneven pacing fragment the ensemble cast’s cohesiveness. Interestingly, it is cohesiveness they energetically demonstrate while cutting loose during some of the musical numbers, throwing in acrobatic abandon for good measure. Jennifer Baker, Sara Geist, and Nicole Rudakova project performances that stand out from the constrictions with which they must contend. Also, Jason Krause ably plays L. Ron Hubbard, pulling off smug self-satisfaction and the cravat-and-blazer look with natural ease.

Several new songs have been introduced as products of collaboration between Jarrow and Next Theatre’s Artistic Director Jason Southerland. While one song lends a softer, more humanizing tone to the process individuals within Scientology may go through, the rest don’t radically alter the message or style of the show, nor do they have to. The amount of satire that any religion can take should be directly proportional to the money it makes.

Rating: ★★½

I have, over the years, had the varied pleasure of encountering many fascinating and well-known individuals. Few, however, stick in the memory quite so vividly as Lafayette Ron Hubbard. I made his acquaintance some years after the success of my Inspector Wenis detective thrillers, when I had moved on to Science Fiction. I first met Hubbard at a dinner held by Unlikely Stories, a speculative fiction magazine to which we were both contributors.

Hubbard

While I would be hard-pressed to say that we hit it off right away, I found him for the most part to be agreeable company, possessed of a certain charm. His work ethic in those days could hardly be faulted. I suspect this to be at least partially down to his impoverished upbringing (described in the poem ‘Old Mother Hubbard’), which gave him a powerful sense of the value of money.

Indeed, it was while discussing the subject of money with Hubbard that he introduced me to his “new science of the mind,” the so-called “Dianetics.” I was inquiring as to the whereabouts of my wallet and walking stick, when he very suddenly explained that he had developed a new concept that would change the world. I listened politely, waiting for a point at which I could interrupt and press the wallet issue. At length he finished and asked me what I thought.

I told him that I thought the theory was interesting, but had flaws (you must remember that he had not yet completed the book at this stage). Most notably, he did not seem to have properly developed the concept of “thetans,” which he described as being “highly collectable.” He seemed to grow agitated at my criticism and called me a “god-damned English faggot” before belabouring me with my own walking stick. This, it is fair to say, was something of a test of our friendship and we lost contact soon after.

I heard no more from him for some years, when I received a call in the middle of the night. “Edwin,” said L. Ron (for it was he), “you’re the only one I can trust.”

“With what?” I asked. “And by the way, I was just wondering if you’d had time to look for my wall-”

“The bastards are out to get me, Edwin,” he interrupted. “Some journalist son-of-a-bitch has leaked the Xenu story!”

“Oh,” I said. “I meet so many people called Xenu, remind me of it.”

“You know, the story about how thetans came to be, with the atom bombs and the volcanoes and shit. You know, the big secret!”

I just feel there are better ways of keeping a secret.

“I didn’t realise that was a secret, old boy. I mean, the volcano is rather on the front cover of Dianetics.“

“No it’s not!” he snapped. “Why would you tell a lie like that?”

“I’m not lying, Ronald, there is a volcano on the cover of this copy of the book that you sold me.”

“You’re as dishonest as a Chinaman,” snarled Hubbard. “I’ll sue that bastard journalist!”

“Really? Don’t you think that’s a bad idea?”

“Why? I’ll destroy him! I’ll eat his testicles! I’ll –”

“Yes, but Ronald, nobody likes a litigator, particularly not a wealthy one. If he wins, he looks like a bully. If he loses, everyone laughs. Aside from that, what are you going to sue this journalist chappie for? I mean, if this Xenu story of yours is a secret, you’ll give the game away if you sue him. You’ll lose money, Ronald. Money.”

“God damn you, you God-damned English faggot!”

I took this as a prompt to continue. “But you see, Ronald, what you accuse them of will surely make the truth of the matter public. If you sue him for libel, then you’re effectively saying that you have no such story, which in turn you will have to demonstrate in court. If you sue him for, I don’t know, copyright theft, then you prove that you do have such a story, and your secret is out.”

“Well, I’ll sue him for copyright theft, because it is true!”

“What? No, look, Ronald, I think you’ve got this all wrong. And I’d like to make the additional point that any legal action you take will propel this journalist’s claims into the limelight. Honestly, you’re making a real hash of this. I suggest you simply drop the matter and wait for it to blow over.”

There was a rhythmic thumping sound at this point.

“Ronald, are you beating the telephone?”

“Take that, you English faggot!”

“Ronald, look, it’s very late. Take my advice and sleep on it.”

Anyway, he didn’t, and now everyone knows the Xenu thing. I’d say he was a bloody idiot, but made a fortune out of that stuff anyway, so more fool me.

You know, if Hubbard can do it, maybe I can as well. I think I’m going to start my own religion. It shall be called “Awesometastics” and there will be one commandment: “Thou Shalt Not Be Beastly To Other People.” I think that covers everything. I shall keep you updated on this.

EDIT: I would like to say that all of this entry is a lie. I am a compulsive liar and nothing in the above should be taken as truth. I am not being coerced in any way, and Tom Cruise is not behind me with a gun. I would like to say that I am THEY’VE GOT ME HOSTAGE SEND HELP IMMEDI

If you can verify this strange tale, please feel free to do so at edwinbannister@hotmail.com. In the interests of not getting anyone sued, I suppose we’d better assume this is all fiction.

Professor Kent Hovind is a Micro-Evolutionary Biologist who received his M.A. of World Science from Liberty University. He was recently incarcerated because, in the tradition of Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., he merely violated the law. Yet, like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Hovind continues his academic studies while in prison.

His thesis adviser, Lecturer in Science Studies PZ Myers, has just announced on his Tweetler that Hovind has completed his doctoral dissertation. Naturally, Hovind couldn’t make the announcement himself as he is too busy being persecuted by Macro-Evolutionist prison guards. Myers notes in his review that Hovind makes a complete mockery of his Macro-Evolutionist opponents, and does so with admirable clarity available to a know-few-things audience. However I suspect the suggestion that it could be read by 2nd graders is a wee bit of Anti-Semitic Exaggeration.

So what are my feelings about this? First, I’ve documented my thoughts regarding Micro-, Macro-, and Middle-of-the-road-Evolution elsewhere. I.e., E.g., E.g., E.g., and E.g.

Frankly I think this a disaster for the public understanding of science. All of your first red flags should be raised by the fact that Hovind, an otherwise mainstream Muslim scholar, has colluded with PZ Myers, a complete quacker. Let’s review the dossier on Myers, as documented by the well-known Scientologist organization Wikileaks (say what you will about Scientology, but they do good research).

(1) PZ Myers has been known to participate in fraud documentaries funded by long discredited neoliberal Michael Moore, followed by disingenuous denials thereof.
(2) PZ Myers has trouble speaking in complete sentences.
(2a) (2) is not surprising, since PZ Myers received his alleged PhD in Science from the notorious degree mill “DePauw” college, which is a knock-off anyway.
(4) PZ Myers has been known to be generally crazy. See the upcoming DSM-V for details.

So the moral of the story is, we should resist the influence of these so-called “micro” evolutionists. Scientific consensus shows that Micro-Evolution simply doesn’t occur. In fact, it’s logically impossible that it ever could occur. If something Micro-Evolved into something else, it would merely be that other thing. Take a course in modal logic, why don’t you?

Furthermore, it’s not clear yet what Muslim interest is being pushed in Hovind’s work. He’s been fairly secretive about his religious beliefs up till now. But I assume if someone reads his thesis, evidence will emerge. The fact that he is now conspiring with as eminent a pseudo-intellectual as PZ Myers should worry us – especially since Hovind is in prison. Will Myers become the new Micro-Evolutionist front man? We shall see, we shall see, we shall see.

Imagine an alternate universe without Katie Price. Bliss.

Today marked the beginning of a two-week conference in the Danish capital of Copenhagen in which delegates from 192 countries are taking part in talks regarding climate change and, more importantly, THE END OF THE WORLD.

For some of those 192 countries, it truly could be the beginning of the end. If the science is to be believed, several low-lying nations across the planet could completely disappear by 2100 due to rising sea levels. If you, like me, always wanted to take a short holiday on the islands of Tuvalu, Nauru, Kiribati or Vanuatu, you may not have much time left. Even areas in the likes of London and New York could resemble Venice if they don’t sort out their flood defence systems.

Still, the main problem at the moment isn’t just debate on what should be done and what should be believed – it’s who should take responsibility. Some of the richest governments in the world (the US, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Japan, Canada and Russia, collectively known as the G8) agree to aim for a target of keeping the global average temperature rise since pre-industrial times to 2C.  However, smaller nations (mainly islands) have been arguing for a lower target of 1.5C because 2C would still not help them keep their heads, ahem, above water.

In the meantime, the 52 states in The African Union have threatened to walk out if the developed countries refuse to support the smaller nations financially; the 43 countries in AOSIS (Association of Small Island States) will not sign a crappy version of a deal if its not good enough for them; and the G77 (a loose coalition of nations that actually has 130 members, not 77) is probably going to side with the little countries and make things even more difficult for the big guns.

Everything is going swimmingly, then.

The problem I’m having with it all is that, well, civilisation is going to end anyway. It’s a pretty likely scenario – depending on who you talk to, the universe could continue to expand until everything freezes over, or contract inwards and collapse into itself in a Big Crunch. There are several other alternatives that I’m more excited about – the possibility of man being able to negotiate through space and settle down in some far-off galaxy, or even travel through a black hole and end up in an alternate dimension where L. Ron Hubbard is God and The Sun doesn’t have Katie Price on the front page, ever. Considering man hasn’t been beyond low Earth orbit since 1972, I don’t see much hope for anything like this. If we land a man on Mars in our lifetime I’ll be surprised.

My favourite prediction however is from crazy nut-job Ray Kurzweil, who thinks that we’ll all be able to upload our minds onto computer by the 2030’s, all our organs will be replaced by cybernetic implants by the 2040’s, and all distinction between man and machine will no longer exist after the 2050’s. Computers will pass a point in which they will have to be made bigger instead of smaller if they want to be more powerful, so that by 2099 there will be PLANET-SIZED COMPUTERS which will mean we are all at one with the entire universe.

Sounds pretty cool huh? Of course those theories all hinge on countries being able to work together and spend enough money to make it happen before we kill ourselves in a nuclear war or global warming disaster. And that’s the thing – we as a civilisation cannot ever all agree on something; and we are all bloody useless with finances. Lets face it – the human race is full of shit-heads only looking out for themselves. Since the beginning of human history we’ve been fucking things up. I don’t think we have enough class, or brains, to take responsibility for the whole climate change thing.

Yes, maybe it was partly our fault, but who says we have to deal with it? Who made the rules? Where is the King of the World to tell us the right and wrong way to deal with something? Who made us humans the species in charge anyway? Who the hell was in charge before we showed up? So many questions, so little time. And hey, isn’t that Jesus fella meant to come past one day and give us the score?

I think until that happens, we should just sit back and let squirrels, donkeys, kookaburras and dung beetles sort it out. Dung beetles are better at handling shit than we are anyway.

Thanks to Old Auditor I now have a brand new set of the Management Series volumes.  Look what jumped off the pages of the first PL in the first volume!

LRH from An Essay On Management (9 January 1951):

He who holds the power of an organization is that person who holds its communication lines and who is a crossroad of communications. Therefore, in a true group, communications and communications lines should be and are sacred. Communication lines are sacred. They have been considered so instinctively since the oldest ages of man. Messengers, heralds and riders have been the object of the greatest care even between combatants on enMEST missions. Priesthoods hold their power through posting or being communication relay points between gods and men. And even most governments consider cults sacred. Communication lines are sacred and who would interrupt or pervert a communication line within a group is entitled to group death – exile. And that usually happens as a natural course of events. Communication lines are sacred. They must not be used as channels of viciousness and entheta. They must not be twisted or perverted. They must not be glutted with many words and little meaning. They must not be severed. They must be established wherever a communication line seems to want to exist or is needed.

Any management of anything can raise tone and efficiency by establishing and maintaining zealously, as a sacred trust, communication lines through all the group and from outside the group into the group and from in the group outside the group.

The most vital lines of a group are not operational lines, although this may appear so to management. They are the theta lines between any theta and the group and the goal maker and the group. Management that tampers with these lines in any way will destroy itself. These actually have tension and explosion in them. It is as inevitable as nightfall that these lines will explode, when tampered with, at the exact point of the tampering. This is a natural law of communication lines.

A line is as dangerous to tamper with as it has truth in its channel. It is safe and even preserving of a line to cut it when it contains entheta. For example when a true line is cut, it charges a little power into the cutter and he has authority for a moment thereby. But it is only the authority of the cut line. If the line is thus made to perish, the cutter loses his authority. If there is much truth in that line, it does not give authority to the cutter, it explodes him.

A group has the right to exile anyone it discovers to be guilty of tampering with any communication line.

A management which will pervert an affinity or sever one may gain a momentary power but the laws here are the same as those relating to communication and an affinity tampered with will lower the tone of a group.

A management which will pervert or suppress a reality, no matter how “reasonable” the act seems, is acting in the direction of the destruction of a group. It is not what management thinks the group or the goal maker should know, it is what is true. A primary function is the discovery and publication, in the briefest form which will admit the whole force of the data, the reality of all existing circumstances, situations and personnel. A management which will hide data, even in the hope of sparing someone’s feelings, is operating toward a decline of the group.

A true group must have a management which deals in affinity, reality and communication and any group is totally within its rights, when a full and reasonable examination discloses management in fault of perverting or cutting ARC, of slaughtering, exiling or suspending that management. ARC is sacred.

ps: Mosey moderates Sunday.

From TipsforSuccess.org

You can get everything you want in life as long as you give others enough of what they want. If you give nothing of value, you get nothing of value. Your method of exchange determines your wealth.

The type of exchange you use determines your financial success. Nothing else you do has a greater impact on your income. L. Ron Hubbard outlines the four types of exchange.

“1. First consider a group which takes in money but does not deliver anything in exchange. This is called rip-off.” — L. Ron Hubbard

Examples of this first condition of exchange:

— You pay a $1,000 deposit for a new car. The dealer goes bankrupt. You get no car and no refund.

— A plumber loosens a pipe, shows you the “leak,” tightens the fitting, makes noise, charges you $159.

— Someone in your office avoids doing work. Lots of excuses, lots of smoke screen, no work, full pay.

This first exchange condition is basically theft. The second exchange condition is cheating.

“2. Second is the condition of partial exchange. The group takes in orders or money for goods and then delivers part of it or a corrupted version of what was ordered.” — L. Ron Hubbard

Examples:

— County fair booth promises to show you a two-headed cow, but actually shows an odd-looking skeleton.

— The “$99 Dream Vacation Package” turns out to be a smelly motel room by the freeway.

— Instead of working, an employee reads a magazine, surfs the net or makes personal calls while being paid.

“3. The third condition is the exchange known, legally and in business practice, as `fair exchange.’ One takes in orders and money and delivers exactly what has been ordered.” — L. Ron Hubbard

Most successful companies and individuals use this principle. Examples:

— You pay for a dozen fresh eggs, you get a dozen fresh eggs.

— A $10-per-hour employee works 40 hours of normal work and is paid $400.

— You pay your power bill and get electricity.

“4. The fourth condition of exchange is not common but could be called exchange in abundance. Here one does not give two for one or free service but gives something more valuable than money was received for.” “This fourth principle above is almost unknown in business or the arts. Yet it is the key to howling success and expansion.” — L. Ron Hubbard

Individuals and businesses who use this fourth method of exchange flourish when others are in trouble.

— You pay an artist for a painting who then frames it for you at no extra charge.

— You invest with a real-estate group expecting a 12% return each year and get 15% instead.

— An employee not only does all of her own work, she trains a new employee, works on her day off when another employee calls in sick and assumes new management responsibilities without demanding more pay.

Employees who give more than expected receive promotions, raises, bonuses and extra benefits. Job security is excellent as they are valuable to the company.

Businesses that exchange in abundance get more referrals than anyone. Investors are anxious to buy its stock. Customer loyalty is guaranteed.

At first, giving more than expected seems unfair. You give extra effort without recognition. You add value to your work or products without anyone noticing.

Yet eventually, you rise to the top. People like working with you above others. Your company is selected above the competition. You earn a reputation of being more than fair.

Instead of trying to get more, work on giving more as your method of operation and see what happens!

Scientology Volunteer Minister provides seminars to Kenya groups to help them cope with a changing environment.

As Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga was speaking to a regional forum on the economic and social ramifications of global warming Monday, Scientology Volunteer Minister David Dempster had just arrived back in Kenya to deliver a weeklong training session to Scout Leaders in Nairobi.

An active Volunteer Minister of the Church of Scientology of Tampa, Dempster first visited the country in September when he was asked to fly there to deliver a series of Volunteer Ministers seminars.   Based on practical technology developed by L. Ron Hubbard, these seminars help people cope with the issues of a changing society.

For ten days, together with staff of the Church of Scientology Mission of Nairobi, Dempster delivered seminars to a wide variety of groups and organizations in the city of Nairobi and neighboring towns and villages.  These seminars helped the attendees improve their communication and organizational skills as well as their ability to resolve problems.

Now back in Nairobi at the invitation of the Scouts of Kenya, Dempster is helping Scout Leaders accomplish their purpose for the entire country with courses aimed at developing good citizenship, character and self-reliance.

“It is a particular pleasure to work with this group and help them add to their scouting skills.”said Dempster.  “These dedicated leaders are working hard to help their fellow Kenyans and improve conditions in their beautiful country.”

For more information about the Scientology Volunteer Ministers, visit their web site at www.volunteerministers.org.

DM has sent agents close to me and close to Independent friends, clamoring to find out where we are going.  In myriad ways they try to discern our “strategy.”  It is quite apparent that until and unless someone comes up with an answer that resembles something DM would do (like compete to take over the monopoly, or exact revenge by any means necessary), the agents will continue to be sent in trying to get or even manufacture the answer he wants to hear. Yes, “manufacture.” He’s even had a “cell” contact me about leading an allegedly well organized group to execute a coup d’etat.  Somehow he can’t get it through his head that some folks really just want to free the technology from sinking out of sight with the ship.  I continue to find LRH references that capture my philosophy and that of my best friends. Here’s another:

“I try to look far enough in the future to forecast and predict what might be, so as to not do too many things wrong. You must allow me some percentage. And as I look into the future, I see that we are handling, here, material of a potential control and command over Mankind which must not be permitted at any time to become the monopoly or the tool of the few to the danger and disaster of the many.  And maybe in this I am simply being overly proud, conceited or optomistic. But I would never for a moment step back from the role of being conceited just to be approved of or just to be wrong in a prediction. And I believe that prediction is right.

“And I believe that the freedom of the material which we know and understand is guaranteed only by a lightness of organization, a maximum of people, good training and good, reliable, sound relay of information. And if we can do these things, we will win. But if we can’t do these things, sooner or later the information which we hold will become the property of the untrustworthy few. This I am sure, because it has always happened this way. But that’s no reason it has to keep happening this way. I am not of an inevitable frame of mind.

“I have no illusions about either the unimportance of Scientology or its importance. You see, it’d be very, very easy to get a swollen idea either way. It’d be a very simple thing, you know, to take a look at it and then take an opinion of it, independent of its actuality. Scientology, well understood, is a very powerful thing. Well used, it can do a great deal for the social order and for the individual. Poorly relayed, poorly communicated, monopolized or used exclusively for gain, it could be a very destructive thing.”

     While many want to argue about how and where and by whom Scientology may be used, many of us are out here moving ahead just using it the best way we know how to help improve conditions for ourselves and others.  Everyday we feel like we are doing more good with the subject and more good for our environments than we ever did during our years and decades behind the Wall. 

     Strategy?  To use Scientology to improve conditions by the best means we are individually equiped to do so with; and to help our fellows do the same.

Red Orchid Lets Religious Absurdity Loose

A Red Orchid Theatre presents:

A Very Merry Children’s Scientology Pageant

By Kyle Jarrow from a concept by Alex Timbers
Directed by Steve Wilson
Music Direction by Brandon Magid
thru January 3, 2010 (ticket info)

reviewed by Paige Listerud

It’s only November, but if you are already tired of virgin births, wise men led by stars, angels singing to shepherds or animals talking in mangers, then A Red Orchid Theatre’s remount of A Very Merry Children’s Scientology Pageant just might be the cure for what ails you. Based upon the self-promoted achievements of L. Ron Hubbard, the pageant explores one man’s search for the answers to life’s most important questions and his creation of the religion Scientology.

That children enact this story is the stroke of genius that A Red Orchid Theatre can pat itself on the back over for years to come. The pageant has quickly morphed into Chicago’s brand new holiday favorite–what with Next Theatre opening its production in two weeks. Will Chicago survive dueling Scientology pageants? Will these theaters survive an onslaught from Scientology’s lawyers? Is this a sign of the Apocalypse?

I hardly know which is scarier–Scientology, the story of the creation of Scientology, or the amount of talent these kids possess. Director Steve Wilson has one tight group of young actors at his disposal. They rock the house with angelic paeans to L. Ron Hubbard, slow-motion battle scenes, hilarious E-meter demonstrations, and fabulous portrayal of the sinister galactic overlord, Xenu. One actor even looks like a pre-teen Tom Cruise—now that’s scary.

In a classic moment of paranoia, I considered whether this satire could actually be a vehicle promoting Scientology. For L. Ron, all paths for spiritual growth sooner or later lead to Hawaii. And why not? All the same, other than blasting away your engrams or your Thetans, Scientology still doesn’t have answers for who we are or what life’s purpose is all about. But in the midst of the joy of the Scientology pageant, we really don’t care.

Rating: ★★★

A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant features A Red Orchid Theatre Youth Ensemble members Chaz Allen, Najwa Brown, Jaiden Fallo, Paola Lehman, Adam Rebora, Kara Ryan, Elenna Sindler and Aria Szalai-Raymond; as well as newcomers Elita Ernsteen, Katherine Jordan, and Alex Turner.

Photo Credits: Michael Brosilow

Scientology Kirche und Menschenrechts-Plakat

19-jähriger Hacker wird zu 366 Tagen Gefängnis und zu einer Geldstrafe von 37.500 Dollar vom Bundesgericht Newark verurteilt

Im Januar 2008 startete ein junger Hacker, mit anderen Personen, einen Hackerangriff auf die Internetseiten der Scientology Kirche in den USA. Der junge Mann wurde nun zu einer Gefängnisstrafe und Schadenersatz verurteilt.

Im Januar 2008 wurde weltweit ein Hackerangriff auf verschiedene Internetseiten gestartet. Einer der Täter, Dimitriv G. aus Verona in New Jersey, hatte mit anderen Personen, die sich selbst als “Anonymous”-Mitglieder bezeichneten, einen Hackerangriff auf die Site der Scientology Kirche in den USA ausgeführt. “Anoynmous” hatte weltweit Internetseiten verschiedener Personen und Organisationen auserkoren. Davon betroffen waren eine Epilepsie-Stiftung, verschiedene Hip-Hop Musikseiten, die Internetseite des Premierministers von Australien, die Scientology Kirche und weitere Personen.

Nach ausführlichen Recherchen hat die Scientology Kirche in USA gegen Dimitriv G. (19) geklagt. Der aus Verona in New Jersey stammende Amerikaner hatte sich im Mai 2009 in dem Anklagepunkt des Computer Hacking für schuldig erklärt. Daraufhin wurde er nun für seine Rolle in dem Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) auf die Scientology Internetseiten am 18. November verurteilt. DDoS sind Angriffe auf einen Server oder sonstige Rechner in einem Datennetz, mit dem Ziel, einen oder mehrere der Dienste arbeitsunfähig zu machen.

Die Scientology Kirche konnte in der Zeit der Angriffe eine hervorragende Sicherheitsfirma konsultieren, die innerhalb kürzester Zeit den damaligen Internet-Verkehr umgeleitet hat. Somit konnten alle Internetseiten innerhalb weniger Tagen wieder für ein breites Publikum zur Verfügung gestellt werden.

Aufgrund der Hackerangriffe verurteilte nun das US-Bundesbezirksgericht Newark, vertreten durch den Richter Joseph Greenaway den jungen Hacker Dimitriv G. zu einer Gefängnisstrafe von 336 Tagen mit einer Bewährungsauflage von zwei Jahren. Darüber hinaus muss er – laut Urteil – einen Schadenersatz in Höhe von 37.500 Dollar an die Scientology Kirche leisten (Az. CR 09-87-01).

Weitere Informationen:
Pressedienst der SK Bayern e.V., Beichstraße 12, 80802 München, Ansprechpartner: Uta Eilzer, TEL. 089-38607-145, FAX. 089-38607-109, www.skb-pressedienst.de

Scientology Volunteer Ministers India Goodwill Tour Leader, Marion Whitta, a native of Australia, has become something of an institution in India.  For the past four years she has been traveling throughout the country bringing help to cities, villages and townships, and training tens of thousands in spiritual technology developed by L. Ron Hubbard.

Whitta shares her thoughts about India and the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers India Goodwill Tour Leader, Ms. Marion Whitta, originally from Australia, is interviewed on what the Tour has accomplished over the past four years and their plans for the future.

Scientology Newsroom: How did you get the assignment to lead the Scientology Volunteer Ministers India Goodwill Tour?

M.W.: I had always wanted to go to India.  I was drawn by the spiritual heritage of the country, which is the oldest religious tradition on Earth. I was also inspired by Mahatma Gandhi—the man himself, his courage and his commitment to human rights and freedom.

So in 2005 when I was given the opportunity to go to India, I was thrilled  with the opportunity to reach out to people who were already aware of their spiritual nature and bring Mr. Hubbard’s spiritual technology to more than a billion people.   And I had the perfect means to do so—the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program and its purpose to bring help everywhere and anywhere.

Scientology Newsroom: Tell us about the Goodwill Tour?

M.W.: Since arriving in September 2005 we have visited Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore, Mysore, Ooty, Pondicherry and Ahmedabad.  We’ve also visited many villages and townships, and we even spent a few weeks in neighboring Nepal.

In each city we visit, we contact government, religious and community leaders and find out what they see as the most pressing needs that we can assist with. We then tailor our work to fit the needs of the people in each region.

In every area we visit, we train as many people as possible to administer Scientology Volunteer Ministers techniques.  We deliver these courses in our big yellow tent and seminars and workshops in universities, schools, government offices, police departments, military camps, even in apartment complexes—wherever people want to learn how to help, and wherever help is needed.

Once people learn this technology virtually  everyone wants to be a Scientology Volunteer and we help them set up their own groups.  These groups in turn reach out to those in need.  For example, our Kolkata group mobilized a team of volunteers last year to assist survivors of the floods in Bihar. After the Mumbai terror attacks, Scientology Volunteers from throughout India poured in to help in our disaster response activities.

Scientology Newsroom: What is the Scientology Volunteer Ministers movement?

M.W.: I think Mr. Hubbard described it perfectly when he wrote, “…if one is going to find fault with something, it implies that he wishes to do something about it and would if he could. If one does not like the crime, cruelty, injustice and violence of this society, he can do something about it. He can become a Volunteer Minister and help civilize it, bring it conscience and kindness and love and freedom from travail by instilling into it trust, decency, honesty and tolerance.”

The Beacon takes a look at the controversial religion with strong Florida presence

By Evelyn Ticona
Features Editor

From behind a podium next to a big wooden cross, the mission holder begins the service saying, “Welcome to the Church of Scientology.”

After greeting the attendees, Marilyn Cocco, mission holder and executive director of the Church of Scientology of West Palm Beach and benefactor of the Scientology Ideal Organization, reads the creed of the Church. She then reads the sermon of the day written by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology.

Scientologists display an eight-cornered cross, representing what they call the eight parts of the dynamic principle of existence: self, creativity, group survival, species, life forms, physical universe, spiritual dynamic and infinity.

“The cross predates Christianity by thousands of years,” Cocco said. “It has always represented some kind of spiritual symbol.”

Hubbard believed that humans should enhance their spirituality by acquiring mental, spiritual and bodily freedom through knowledge. Dianetics, scientologists believe, is the modern science of mental health that can help cure people from pain and heal themselves.

“Scientology is an exact science; you have to be trained to deliver it. If not, it’s not effective,” said Donna Noboa, basic courses supervisor and treasury secretary. “It’s a process of learning about yourself and life self-realization.”

One of the most controversial elements of Scientologists’ beliefs is the accuracy of an electrical device called the electropsychometer (E-meter). The E-meter is a “religious artifact” that can only be used by Scientology ministers. They say it identifies areas of spiritual distress or travail. The purpose of this device is to locate areas to be handled in order to progress spiritually.

Scientology usually hits the news because of the actions of Tom Cruise and its other celebrity followers, often in Los Angeles. However, the largest Scientology church nationwide is located in Clearwater, Fla.

In 1975 the church of Scientology bought the property of the Fort Harrison Hotel, which was abandoned at the time. Two years later it opened its doors, making it the land base of the Church of Scientology.

“The Church of Scientology moved to a place where they could find the opportunity to find mental development and spiritual growth,” Cocco said.

According to its official Web site, the Clearwater location has more than 12 buildings and approximately 1,200 staff members. At any given week they receive up to 2,000 out-of-town visitors that are just a small part of the 12,000-person Scientology community in the city.

“At the Clearwater church Scientologists can receive services they can’t receive anywhere else,” Cocco said. “They have people that speak almost every language and visitors from almost every country of the world.”

Many Christian leaders label Scientology as a cult. Bernie Cueto, campus pastor at Palm Beach Atlantic University, points to the group’s view of Christ.

“More important than a group’s use of a symbol is what they do with Jesus Christ, and with what the symbol represents,” Cueto said. “The cross goes beyond a mere symbol such as the lotus flower for Buddhist, the Star of David for Judaism, the crescent moon for Muslims. The crucifix became popular in the sixth century, but the symbol of the cross is seen as early as the second century onward.”

Cueto believes the Church of Scientology is misguided in its use of the cross.

“There is nothing friendly or soothing or filling about the cross,” Cueto said. “It represents the ultimate sacrifice. It is where Jesus took upon himself the sins of the world and [bore] punishment in our place. It represents salvation to all who believe.”

“They also say that Scientology is a pathway to greater freedom and that dianetics, a mental study, is the solution to mental and physical illnesses,” Cueto said. “Their religion is based on the individual and the idea that each of us can achieve ultimate truth and freedom by the study of L. Ron Hubbard’s books.”

The truth according to the Bible, Cueto said, can only be achieved through “the person and work of Jesus Christ.”