What’s wrong with Scientology?

Whilst protesting the Church of Scientology over the past couple of years, I have been asked countless times to answer the question “what’s wrong with Scientology?”

In 1964, the State of Victoria convened a Board of Inquiry into Scientology. In 1965, the Report of the Board of Inquiry into Scientology was published.

"There are some features of Scientology which are so ludicrous that there may be a tendency to regard Scientology as silly and its practitioners as harmless cranks. To do so would be gravely to misunderstand the tenor of the Board’s conclusions… Scientology is evil; its techniques evil; its practice a serious threat to the community, medically, morally and socially; and its adherents sadly deluded and often mentally ill." – Kevin Victor Anderson, Q.C (see the full report here)

Just yesterday, Independent Senator Nick Xenophon used parliamentary privilege to table seven letters by former Scientologists which make very serious allegations against the Church of Scientology. So more than 40 years on from the “Anderson Report”, the Church of Scientology could soon be the focus of a senate inquiry, with their tax-exemption in question.

Virginia Stewart, a spokeswoman for the Church of Scientology, responded to the allegations by saying that Senator Xenophon is running a “propaganda campaign that would suit a totalitarian regime, not Australia, a country that recognizes freedom of religion”.

Today, I obtained Virginia Stewart’s phone number from Scientology’s press release and called her myself. I was playing the role of a journalist from a reputable national publication, armed with Scientology ‘tech’ to back up my claims. I told Virginia that “I don’t believe the Senator is questioning your right to hold whatever beliefs you wish, but is bringing attention to the Church of Scientology’s illegal and immoral acts committed under the guise of religion.”

So with the ear of Virginia Stewart, these are the issues which I raised:

 
Bruised, bitten and ghostly thin. These are unedited photographs from Lisa McPherson’s autopsy.

Scientology kills.
In 1995, a 36 year old Scientologist by the name of Lisa McPherson was injured in a minor car accident. Paramedics took her to hospital after she took her clothing off on the side of the road. Fellow Scientologists persuaded hospital staff not to hold McPherson and give her psychiatric evaluation as the Church of Scientology vehemently opposes the psychiatric industry. McPherson was then taken to the Scientology base at Fort Harrison Hotel where she was put in isolation under the “care” of Scientologists under the official Scientology practice of “Introspection Rundown”.

HCO Bulletin of 20 February 1974 – The Introspection Rundown

"The C/S’s action is a direct comm line to the person by notes. The person is provided with paper and pen to reply. The C/S must determine the person’s responsibility level. Example: ‘Dear Joe. What can you guarantee me if you are let out of isolation?’ If the person’s reply shows continued irresponsibility toward other dynamics or fixation on one dynamic to the exclusion of others damaged the C/S must inform the person of his continued isolation and why. Example: ‘Dear Joe. I’m sorry but no go on coming out of isolation yet. Your actions threatened the survival of hundreds of people indirectly and 6 families directly by burning down their houses. You are unaware of the effects this could have had and still only concerned about your own welfare. You must hate the human race quite a bit."

To put this in plain language, the ‘case supervisor’ must determine whether or not the person is to be allowed out of isolation (illegal imprisonment). Lisa McPherson’s case supervisor was Janis Johnson, a doctor who was not licensed in Florida. The Scientology staff tending to McPherson were not licensed practitioners, and tried methods such as “closing her nose so she has to swallow so she can breathe through her mouth” to force McPherson to swallow medication.  On December 5th, after being held in isolation under horrible conditions for 17 days, Lisa McPherson was dying. To ensure that McPherson was not given psychiatric treatment, Janis Johnson drove McPherson to Columbia New Port Richey Hospital where Scientologist doctor David Minkoff worked. This hospital was more than 45 minutes away, they drove past four hospitals on the drive. Lisa McPherson was dead on arrival.

This is not an isolated incident, there have been many Scientologists who have died as a result of being denied proper medical care and being treated only with Scientology pseudoscience.

The leaders of the Church of Scientology are mentally, physically and verbally abusive to their followers.

In July this year, the St. Petersburg Times published a three part report on the Church of Scientology in which former high-ranking Scientologists Marty Rathbun and Mike Rinder, amongst others, claimed to have witnessed David Miscavige, the head of the Church of Scientology, beating numerous Scientologists on many occasions. Marty Rathbun also admitted to having being ordered by David Miscavige to assault fellow Scientologists, including Mike Rinder in January 2004.

Scientology destroys families.

The Church of Scientology forces its members to cease contact with family or friends who are critical of the organisation, through a policy called “disconnection”.

If a Scientologist is connected with somebody who is labelled “suppressive”, the Scientologist will be considered a “potential trouble source” (PTS) until such a time as they “disconnect” from the person.

HCO Policy Letter, 10 September 1983

A Scientologist can become PTS by reason of being connected to someone that is antagonistic to Scientology or its tenets. In order to resolve the PTS condition, he either HANDLES the other person’s antagonism (as covered in the materials on PTS handling) or, as a last resort when all attempts to handle have failed, he disconnects from the person.” – Founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard

HCO Policy Letter, 23 December 1965

“Any PTS who fails to either handle or disconnect from the SP who is making him or her a PTS is, by failing to do so, guilty of a Suppressive Act.” – Founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard

So essentially, Scientologists either have to stop their friends and family members from being critical of the Church of Scientology, or they are forced to either disconnect from these people or be declared suppressive themselves, and cast out of the organisation. Leaving the Church of Scientology is hardly an option for a person who has been brainwashed and has invested not only their money but their entire lives in to Scientology.

Scientologists are encouraged to cause financial, mental and physical pain to critics.

Critics of Scientology are targets of the Church of Scientology’s policy of “fair game,” whereby Scientologists are permitted (and encouraged) by the organisation to cause the critic harm.

Scientologists who perpetrate illegal actions and use underhanded tactics to silence critics of the organisation are not subject to any punishment from within the organisation; this is because these actions are sanctioned by the Church.

HCO Policy Letter, 18 October 1967

“SP Order. Fair game. May be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed.” – Founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard

A “Suppressive Person” (SP) is somebody who engages in “suppressive acts”;

HCO Policy Letter, 23 December 1965

“Suppressive acts are clearly those covert or overt acts knowingly calculated to reduce or destroy the influence or activities of Scientology” – Founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard

To phrase these statements differently; a person who engages in “covert or overt acts knowingly calculated to reduce or destroy the influence or activities of Scientology” is considered “fair game”, meaning that they “may be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist”. They may also be “tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed”.

It is often argued by Scientologists that the policy of fair game was cancelled decades ago;

HCO Policy Letter, 21 October 1968

“The practice of declaring people FAIR GAME will cease.
FAIR GAME may not appear on any Ethics Order. It causes bad public relations.
This P/L does not cancel any policy on the treatment or handling of an SP.” – Founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard

So although the practice of declaring people as “fair game” has ceased, the practice of declaring people as “suppressive” has not; and those who are declared “suppressive” are still able to be “tricked, sued, lied to or destroyed”.

Despite the fact that I provided Virginia Stewart with HCOBs and HCOPLs to give validity to each issue I raised, the Scientology spokeswoman had very little to say other than to deny each and every statement I made, questioning the authenticity and accuracy of the information which I provided.

These issues barely scratch the surface in answering the question “what’s wrong with Scientology?”, but I hope you’ve heard enough to realise that Scientology is far from harmless and needs to be stopped.