 |
|
KIDS & SCIENTOLOGY
Ex-Scientologist Speaks to Parents: What your Kids should know about Scientology
I joined the Church of Scientology (CoS) in 1969 at the age of 22. I woke up and left in 2000, thirty years later. Most people, when they hear the word Scientology, think of its few celebrity spokespeople such as Tom Cruise or John Travolta. Here are a few things that I would suggest you warn your kids about.
1. The Church of Scientology does not allow Tom Cruise nor John Travolta nor any of its members to read or study information that the church doesn’t want them to know. Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard said it was a "high crime" to do so.
2. The CoS often recruits young people. Make sure your kids know that, if someone speaks to them about Scientology, they are to inform you. Often CoS recruiters persuade kids to quit college to join CoS and do something that they call "a bigger game." I have known young people who were told by CoS staff: "The end of the world is coming, and if you don’t join staff and help us, your parents will starve to death." Once on staff, these kids are basically slaves to the organization. Since Scientology is designed around peer pressure and group agreement, it is very difficult to leave.
The recruiting tool most often used is the free Personality Test, which supposedly identifies a person’s strengths and weaknesses. It sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? But this process of identifying weaknesses is referred to by CoS recruiters as "finding his ruin" and its real purpose is to convince your child that he or she has a problem (a "ruin") and needs Scientology to fix it. The next step is to sign up for a Scientology course.
3. Keep in mind that if you or other family members begin disagreeing with this organization, it is CoS staff’s job to cut you off. Hundreds of families have been broken up in this way. I, myself, practiced what Scientology calls "Good Roads, Fair Weather" with my mother for 30 years (my Dad died early on).
What is "Good Roads, Fair Weather?" If you in any way criticize Scientology to your Scientologist child, he or she will be sent to the "Ethics Officer" and shown references about so-called Suppressive People - people who are perceived as hostile to Scientology. Suddenly your child finds out that YOU are a Suppressive Person. This carries HUGE significance within the Church of Scientology.
When someone disagrees with policies written by Hubbard or is critical of Scientology, if the group cannot change this person’s mind, the group declares the person a "Suppressive Person." Once that declaration has been made, not one Scientologist will speak with the "SP" except for the "International Justice Chief." Even that individual wouldn’t speak to me after I was "declared" and would only deal with me via mail. An SP declaration is a very serious action, taken to cut off people who are critical of the Church of Scientology, its members or Hubbard.
If you are labeled an "SP," your child will no longer be allowed to talk honestly with you about anything meaningful, but only about the weather or other surface topics. The other alternative is to "Disconnect" from you - which means literal disconnection.
Since my mother was antagonistic to Scientology (the church having insisted that I stop taking much-needed medication), I chose the "Good Roads, Fair Weather" approach. Thank God I woke up before my mother died. She had spent 30 years with me telling her about beach parties and movies! Finally we had some wonderful discussions, once I left the Church of Scientology.
4. Scientologists claim to be "the most ethical group on the planet." This is far from true; however, they do promote some good things. For example, Scientologists are drug-free. If your child is on drugs, the Church of Scientology will recommend an organization called Narconon. Here is some information to study about that group before you become involved with it: http://tinyurl.com/2paum
The "Study Tech" developed by L. Ron Hubbard is promoted by Tom Cruise and taught by organizations such as Applied Scholastics. I won’t say this "tech" is bad, as it helped me, too. However, excellent study tools can be found elsewhere. Your child does not have to join Scientology to learn better study habits. Information on Study Tech and Applied Scholastics can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/yu7pq
Your child might also come across a group called "Way to Happiness," which is named after a small book of that title written by Hubbard. The book itself is simple and promotes basic good values with which few people would disagree. How does the Church of Scientology use this?
In an area where they plan to open a "mission" or "org" (organization) they visit local business and professional people - doctors, dentists, etc. - and persuade them to buy the Way to Happiness Program; each booklet will have the doctor’s or businessperson’s name and address on it. That seems innocent enough, eh? However, this is based on a policy Hubbard wrote called "Safepointing," in which Scientology "safepoints" (makes safe) an area before arrival. So unbeknownst to Dr. Smith, he has now helped "safepoint" the Church of Scientology by assisting in their Way to Happiness program. There lies the insidiousness of it.
Now in Europe, Israel and elsewhere Scientology is using the Way to Happiness as part of a human rights campaign. Many individual Scientologists do believe strongly in human rights. However, if the Church of Scientology truly practiced what it preaches, there would not be hundreds, if not thousands, of families broken up because this same "church" declares people "SPs." Human rights? Please look a bit deeper! Way to Happiness? Certainly not for the families they have so ruthlessly broken up, my own 27-year marriage included. Please do the research before you buy into any of these clever campaigns.
There are many nice people in the Church of Scientology. The great majority of them are unaware of many of the abuses committed by their church. I cannot stress enough how important it is that you inform yourself and be ready to educate your children on this organization.
The websites listed below are good places to start.
Good luck to you all!
RECOMMENDED WEBSITES:
Websites for the Freezone, practicing
Scientology outside the CoS:
Alternate views:
The terms "Scientology" and "Dianetics" are trademarks and service marks owned by Religious Technology Center (RTC), Los Angeles, California, USA. For a detailed explanation of Scientology's copyrights, trademarks, and other legal issues involving the names and symbols used by the organizations collectively known as "Scientology" and "Dianetics," see the Trademark Section of the Official Scientology Web Site. |