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Scientology
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kerouacdude
TRIBE Member
Been slogging my way through Lawrence Wright's book about Scientology in recent weeks. Loved The Looming Tower but this one I can only read a bit at a time. Less a reflection of the author than the subject matter is so weird, unseemly, off-putting etc.
Switch up to Janet Reitman's Inside Scientology. She attempted to write an objective account, but it still covers the areas of your concern with Lawrence Wright's book. I don't think it's possible to write an objective account and not project it as being as fucked up as it most certainly is.
The chapter on Tom Cruise is fascinating, as is the rise of David Miscavige.
praktik
TRIBE Member
praktik
TRIBE Member
praktik
TRIBE Member
Marty rounded up coverage of the doc here:
https://markrathbun.wordpress.com/2015/01/26/going-clear-the-documentary/
https://markrathbun.wordpress.com/2015/01/26/going-clear-the-documentary/
praktik
TRIBE Member
Marty recaps the tenets of scientology:
In plain English, here are the core religious beliefs of scientology:
Scientology Beliefs
In plain English, here are the core religious beliefs of scientology:
Scientology Beliefs
- Planet Earth is a prison. The vast majority of human beings – and billions of invisible other beings – are its inmates.
- Xenu is the name of scientology’s Satan who established Earth as a prison and transported billions of beings to serve as its inmates.
- Our continued imprisonment is assured by ‘psychs.’ ‘Psychs’ are defined as psychiatrists, psychologists, psycho-therapists, priests, ministers, and anyone else practicing in the field of the mind and spirit. Psychs were sent here from a planet called ‘Farsec.’ They are a special breed of being created and invested with the sole purpose of keeping humankind mentally imprisoned.
- Ron Hubbard is the first to discover the truth of 1 through 3 above, and the only one to have devised a means of escaping the prison planet.
- Navigation through the only hole in the wall consists of closely emulating Hubbard and behaving as he did when he lived.
- Enemies, including psychs as well as anyone expressing any doubt or reservation about these beliefs, must be destroyed by any means necessary by scientologists. Such means include lying, suing, cheating, harassing, intimidating, blackmailing, smearing and by physical violence.
- Scientology ‘technology’ consists of a sophisticated mix of pop psychology and hypnotism carefully designed and administered so as to lead people to wholeheartedly accept and live according to these beliefs.
- When a scientologist has expended all of his best efforts in the vain pursuit of these beliefs he is expected to ‘discard’ his body so that he may continue to pursue them without such a physical ‘impediment’.
praktik
TRIBE Member
Totally reco this book, Lawrence Wright "Going Clear" - was easier read for me and when I think about the revelations in the book getting more play from this doc I am very excited to see what the collective impact of book+doc will be on Scientology, I dont think it will be a smooth 5 years for them with respect to recruitment/lawsuits....
praktik
TRIBE Member
premieres tonight!!
Tho Canadians, even with HBO, will have to download - seems to be American premiere only!
el presidente Highsteppa
TRIBE Member
I really want to see what Going Clear has to offer - the review in The Hollywood Reporter earlier this week was really positive.
DJ Vuvu Zela
TRIBE Member
just finished watching it. it's incredible.
amazing portrait on the power of delusion & irrational belief.
amazing portrait on the power of delusion & irrational belief.
What's messed up is they paint a picture of Tom Cruise being a true believer and brainwashed, unlike John Travolta who is complacent in order to not get his name smeared. Messed up. I would love to see Tom Cruise' star power collapse and Travolta to speak up. Hopefully this movie leads to the churches collapse...
ScottBentley
TRIBE Member
That was a really good watch. Too bad the technology didn't exist during the earlier years of the other "religions"...I suspect there would be a lot of similar stories told.
praktik
TRIBE Member
They dealt with Travolta fairly well I think - there's a seedy underbelly there for sure and they were pretty respectful, book goes into more detail but of the two: Travolta comes across a victim, Cruise comes across as a propagator/beneficiary of Scientology....
Also thought the whole thing was great - coming from the book it was great to see the videos from inside the church I had only read about!
praktik
TRIBE Member
Keep checking Rathbun's blog,
his latest here: https://markrathbun.wordpress.com/2015/03/29/scientologys-vortex-of-hate/
Should have good insight into what fallout may happen as a result of the film inside the church...
his latest here: https://markrathbun.wordpress.com/2015/03/29/scientologys-vortex-of-hate/
Should have good insight into what fallout may happen as a result of the film inside the church...
praktik
TRIBE Member
Lest we laugh overmuch at Scientology, let us remember how widespread these kinds of communities are outside the church and for any number of allegiances out there (From Rathbun's post above):
You can see that same cycle playing out today. Scientology forums read more and more like scientology’s propaganda sheet ‘Freedom.’ They are replete with name calling, expressing glee at every enemy faux pas, assigning evil motives to any and every enemy utterance or move, pronouncing hyperbolic end of days scenarios for the enemy, even TARGETING for distrust and enmity anyone who does not exhibit its own culturally devolved standards of ridicule and hate. Their heaping praise and kudos on those mostly closely adhering to the company line verge on cult-like. The tone, intelligence and tolerance levels are no different than scientology’s itself. Their leaders have become as obsessed with scientology as scientology’s leading lights are. Their sense of right and wrong becomes nearly identical (albeit reversed in vector) to scientology’s.
Scientology’s instilled ‘ethical’ values can be summed up in two clauses: Whatever or whoever supports and forwards scientology is good; whatever or whoever detracts from scientology is evil.
You can see this kind of thing in modern Movement Conservatism or Infowars type groups too...Scientology’s instilled ‘ethical’ values can be summed up in two clauses: Whatever or whoever supports and forwards scientology is good; whatever or whoever detracts from scientology is evil.
praktik
TRIBE Member
Marty's Vice interview here: Talking to Marty Rathbun, Former Senior Executive of the Church of Scientology | VICE | United States
ndrwrld
TRIBE Member
John Travolta Won't See Scathing Scientology Doc 'Going Clear' | Rolling Stone
Travolta said, "I've been so happy with my [Scientology] experience in the last 40 years, that I really don't have anything to say that would shed light on [a documentary] so decidedly negative. I've been brought through storms that were insurmountable, and [Scientology has] been so beautiful for me, that I can't even imagine attacking it."
---
translation : help me, i'm in a Cult.
Travolta said, "I've been so happy with my [Scientology] experience in the last 40 years, that I really don't have anything to say that would shed light on [a documentary] so decidedly negative. I've been brought through storms that were insurmountable, and [Scientology has] been so beautiful for me, that I can't even imagine attacking it."
---
translation : help me, i'm in a Cult.