Scientology and Lawrence Wright's Book "Going Clear"

The Church of Scientology continues to experience a massive shit storm of negative media.  It's raining turds for a group that refuses to admit any wrong doing.


Last night NBC's Rockcenter aired an interview with Oscar winning Director Paul Haggis who left Scientology, and Pulitzer Prize winning author Lawrence Wright, who just wrote a book on Scientology called "Going Clear ".

If you didn't catch last night's episode of Rockcenter you can see it here: "Director calls some Scientology teachings 'madness'."  Be sure to watch the second part, which shares what happened to one family broken apart by Scientology.  Sadly, they are one of many.

I'm amazed that the Church of Scientology thinks they can get away with claiming they don't put the screws to parishioners to "disconnect" (cut ties) with people who leave Scientology.  A big reason many remained trapped in Scientology is because they know the Church will make sure that any relationships an individual leaving has with other Scientologist is ended.

It doesn't matter if they are your mother, child, friends or bosses.  The Church fears that the few remaining Scientologist will find out what the rest of the world already knows.  It's the same reason why Scientologist are indoctrinated into believing that they can not watch or read anything that contradicts what they are told in Scientology.

When you leave Scientology your remaining friends and family are called into the Church and "briefed" on what an asshat you are.  Often they are told lies about you in an effort to turn your friends and family against you.  When my family and I left the Church, many of our friends were called in and told some pretty outrageous things about us, and why we left.

We heard from friends who told us what they were told.  They said they knew it wasn't true but had to disconnect from us or they would loose their own friends and family who remained in the Church.  They continued to believe that their spiritual freedom was in the hands of Scientology, and without it they would suffer the Christian equivalent of going to hell.

The Church even uses social media to spread the word to your friends and family across the country that they need to disconnect from you. Below is a facebook message that was cut and pasted from a message sent from a Scientologist in the Twin Cities named Megan Finstrom, who goes by Megan Parfitt on facebook.  It and messages like it were sent to multiple friends of mine on across the country.  She and other Scientologist are instructed by Church staff to do this.  The Church often has its parishioners do its dirty work, so they can appear to have clean hands.

 In Megan's case she refers people to Karen Wesling who is a Twin Cities Church of Scientology staff member and probably Megan's handler.  Megan was kind enough to even provide instructions on how to not only unfriend the Stud Muffin and I, but also my parents, just to be on the safe side.

An "HCO order" is a document that the Church creates stating your offenses against the Church, often made up.  They post this for people to see in lunch rooms and common areas, thereby warning Scientologist to stay away from you.

"PTS Type C" is Church jargon which means that we threatened to take legal action against the Church.

"Org" is short for Organization meaning the Church.

From: Facebook <notification+m-j5j51_@facebookmail.com>

Subject: Megan Parfitt sent you a message on Facebook...

To: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Date: Sunday, January 10, 2010, 3:06 PM

Subject: Important

Hi,

There is an HCO order posted in the Twin Cities org regarding Natalie and Brad Hagemo. They are declared PTS Type C. Please remove them from your facebook friends asap. Their family members should also be removed: Corey Wilcox and Donna-Gail Wilcox.

You can do this by going to "friends" and hit x for delete.

Please go into the org and see Karen Wesling if you have any questions, data to report and to view the order.

Thanks, Megan

(For those of you out of state, you can reach Karen by calling 612-338-5111)

Many friends disconnected from us.  In the three years since we left, many friends have reconnected with us.  Some have left the Church themselves, fed up with the demands for money, abuses and manipulation. Some maintain the appearance of still being with the Church, so as not to rock the boat for their friends and family who are still brainwashed by the false control the Church exerts.  Some remained disconnected completely, fearing that they risk their spiritual freedom if they were to speak to us.

The thing is, the Church of Scientology, like any cult, only has power over you if you grant them that power.  They play on an individuals fear, they use threats and other manipulative tactics.  Take back your own power and sense of self, and you see that they are nothing more than a bully on the playground.

I'm reading Lawrence Wright's book "Going Clear".  It is shedding further light on what I was involved with and why you feel trapped in Scientology.  It truly is a prison of belief.