XEMU's [CLAM]

$CIENTOLOGY
F.A.Q. list


I have tried here to set out the basic things newcomers to ''alt.religion.scientology'' regulary ask in their early weeks. Caveats---Some of this is personal evaluation. I am not speaking from experience of inside the cult. This is not comprehensive, rather it is enough insights and understanding to get started quickly: part of that is judging what to omit to keep it readily comprehensible. Here are quick MicroFAQs by me    [revised] and by David Gerard to get you started, and here are links back to my homepage and scientology section [index].

01_origins, 02_grievances, 03_Dn beliefs, 04_Scn beliefs, 05_god, 06_levels of involvement
07_social attitudes, 08_drugs, 09_recruitment, 10_resources, 11_advice, 12_how2help
Q01: Where does $cientology come from?
 (a) how did it start as Dianetics? --- (b) how did it become the $cientology religion? --- (c) what are the chief differences?

Q02: Why are people getting riled up about it?
[in order of increasing importance....]
(a) Some of its doctrines are pretty daft! --- (b) It charges a great deal of money! --- (c) It has policy of systematically attacking critics!
(d) THIS HAS LED INTO A WAR AGAINST THE INTERNET! --- (e) Am *I* in danger from any of this?

Q03: What is Dianetics about?
 (a) What are "Engrams"? -- (b) What is the desired EndPoint of Dianetics? -- (b) How is the EndPoint achieved?

Q04: What are the inner levels of Scientology about?
(a) What is a "Thetan"? -- (b) What is the desired EndPoint of Scientology? -- (c) How is the EndPoint achieved?

Q05: Does Scientology believe in God, or in Christ?
 (a) We are EACH potentially divine! -- (b) ''The man on the cross--there is no Christ!''

Q06: Are there different levels of involvement in Scn?
 (a) Public scientologists know very little! -- (b) Scientology staff are under rather more control!
(c) Then there is the Sea Org! -- (d) O.S.A. orders and organises Co$'s evil acts!

Q07: What are Scn's social attitudes to........ (a)....Sex? -- (b)....Age and Death? -- (c)....Children? -- (d)....Madness?
(e)....Racial and sexual minorities?

Q08: How does Scn regard drugs, including.... (a)...strongly mind-altering drugs? -- (b)...other recreational drugs? -- (c)...other medical drugs?

Q09: How does Scn get and keep recruits?
(a) It sweeps up the EMOTIONALLY vulnerable! -- (b) It uses bait-and-switch tactics!
(c) It conditions you to reject doubt! -- (d) You then throw good money after bad!

Q10: What is the size & distribution of the Church?
How many.... -- At what rate... -- Where.... -- How much money... .

Q11: What should I do if....
(a) ....I am thinking of sincerely joining Scn? -- (b) ....I am thinking of infiltrating Scn for info?
(c) ....I am thinking employment or partnership with Scienos? -- (d) ....my friend or relative is considering Scn?

Q12: What can *I* do to change things?
 (a) Inform yourself about Scientology! -- (b) Tell other people!
(c) Get the message out in other ways! -- (d) Support the various defence funds!

[0<<] Q01: Where does $cientology come from? [>>2]

(a) how did it start as Dianetics?
 The original form of the system was founded in the 1950s be S.F. writer Laffayette Ron Hubbard, under the name ''DIANETICS: the Modern Science of mental health.'' It is a system of psychotherapy or self-improvement based on erasing memories of past pain which hold us back.
(a) how did it become the $cientology religion?
 Hubbard lost control of the Dianetics Foundation and revamped the system under the name Scienology, which was called a religion in order to make it exempt from taxes and other legal controls e.g. on unregulated practice of medicine.
(c) what are the chief differences?
Dianetics talks about the workings of the mind realistically, in the current lifetime. $cientology adds an immaterialist worldview centred on spirits or ''thetans'', and deals with past lives across a phastastical imagined cosmic history; also, it costs more money. But, in practice, the early stages are still based on Dianetics.

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[1<<] Q02: Why are people getting riled up about it? [>>3]
In order of increasing importance....

(a) Some of its doctrines are pretty daft!
 They include Hubbard's idea that human beings evolved from clams, and one of the higher level of revelation originally involved going to the zoo to talk telepathically with the animals.
(b) It charges a great deal of money!
It involves regularly recieving ''auditting''--a sort of confessional-- at $100 / hour, and other training courses. In practice, the whole thing is organised as a profitmaking scam to extract money from mugs, and people are pressured into blowing their savings, their homes, or the money for their [ot their kids] college education. The real trouble starts if they realise they've been done, and try to get a refund...
(c) It has policy of systematically attacking critcs!
The Church has a policy of sytematic harassment against anyone it feels to be an enemy because they publish hostile works, or leave and demand a refund. This has provenly included forging a bombthreat on an stolen letterhead, launching vexacious lawsuits, picketing people's homes, and alledgelyon a couple of occasions killing people's pets.
(d) THIS HAS LED INTO A WAR AGAINST THE INTERNET!
The Church of $cientology has therefore embarked on a ''war'' against its Internet critics. This has included getting--and unlawfully exceeding-- warrants to search the homes of people in America suspected of broadcating its absurd ''secret scriptures'', legal threats by email to everyone in sight from chuch lawyer Helena ('' 'Ho of Babble-On '') Kobrin , and even an attempt to remove the complete alt.religion.scientology newsgroup.
(e) Am I in danger of any of this?
It depends how far you get involved, but probably not. The malice of the Church authorities may be unlimited, but its time and manpower isn't: you are only looking for trouble if you are a major critic and hence seen as a real threat.

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[2<<] Q03: What is Dianetics about? [>>4]

(a) What are ''Engrams''?
 The basic idea of Dianetics, and later Scientology, is that our behaviour is constrained by engrams i.e. memories of past pain. While this may have some truth, it adds absurdly [i] that these can take root while we were unconscious or still in the womb, and [ii] that they go away once you merely realise them -- it is more likely engrained fears and habits take a LOT of ''relearning'' to get rid of.
(b) What is the desired EndPoint of Dianetics?
 The subject [''PC''=PreClear] should reach a state ''Clear'' of engrams from his current lifetime, in which he has conscious control over his own mind. This is or was variously claimed to give perfect memory, raised IQ, freedom from physical disease, etc, which it does not observably do; it is quiet effective at weight reduction for a fat wallet, though.
(b) How is the EndPoint achieved?
 The basic process, here and in the higher levels, is one of ''auditing'' [confessional]. The PC sits opposite his Auditor [counsellor / confessor], who neutrally asks questions designed to get the PC to describe each engram until he can face it without feeling. He or she holds the ''soup can'' handles of a simple skin resistance meter, called an ''E-Meter'', which supposedly acts like a lie detector on showing their level of emotional reaction. Any serious student of Scn will both recieve, and train to evenually give, auditing.

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[3<<] Q04: What are the inner levels of $cientology about? [>>5]

(a) What is a ''Thetan''?
 You are. Not a body, or a brain, but a spirit which posesses a phyical body in the illusory physical world which it, and the other spirits, jointly create. Close your eyes and visualise a cat; that which sees it is you, a spirit. [On the other hand, close your eyes and stroll across a busy trunk road when you hear a lorry coming---that which gets squashed is you, a body, just see how long you can exist without one; (c) ''Mr Castle''].
(b) What is the desired EndPoint of Scientology?
 The subject [Pre-OT], having attained ''Clear'', should go on to become an ''Operating Thetan'': an awakwened spirit which can act independent of the body, and therefore has control over the physical world itself. There have been various challenges for OTs to roll marbles or zap cockroaches with their minds before an outside audience, but such a demonstration is beneath their dignity for some reason e.g. because it would fail
(c) How is the EndPoint achieved?
 Dianetic auditing is extended in two ways. It also extends to consting a LOT more money, around $300,000 in total by the time you have completed the highest current course on the Bridge.

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[4<<] Q05: Does Scientology believe in God, or in Christ? [>>6]

(a) We are EACH potentially divine!
 Scientology is a ''gnostic'' religion, in which we each develop our own path to enlightnement in the spiritual realm. This is interpreted in a novel way: Scienos don't have ''faith'' in anything, but of course ''know from experience'' that the only way forward is following the exact ''standard tech'' as Hubbard wrote it. Whatever the early stages say, it becomes clear as you progress that we are each potentially and equally divine--some have merely progressed further to awakening than others. The thetans create the illusory material world between them, as a sort of divine play; and there is neither room nor need for one unique creator God, according to Scn.
(b) ''The man on the cross--there is no Christ!''
 Hubbard's own words from the Philadelphia Doctorate Course tape#10, available as a .WAV file on the web. Recruits are told Scn is compatible with believing other religions; bit then it becomes clear that practicing them would harm your path to survival and ultimate divinity; and in the inner levels, Xianity is revealed as a harmful delusion, according to Scientology.

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[5<<] Q06: Are the different levels of involvement in Scn? [>>7]

If your or friends get involved with Scn, it is important to realise there are sharply different levels of commitment. In Scienos you meet as opponents: some are ONLY mugs, and not aware of or responsible for the Church's evil behaviour; others may ALSO be mugs, but are exaclty aware and responsible.

(a) Public scientologists know very little!
 A ''public Scientologist'' who is merely taking courses has very little of their life under direct Scn control, and knows very little of what goes on---this especially applies to rich celebrities duped into the cult--- though they will be conditioned to push away all sources of doubt in themselves or others.
(b) Scientology staff are under rather more control!
 Those who cannot pay for courses may be offered the ''tempting'' alternative of joining Scn staff, and work six ten hour days a week for peanuts, in order to avail themselves of ''free'' services. There are two minor catches:Junior staff are often as much pure victims of the church as anyone else.
(c) Then there is the Sea Org!
 The ultimate [in stupidity] is to be invited into an elite group of Scn staff called the ''Sea Org'', by signing a ''billion year contract'' to work for Scn in this and all your future lives. They wear spiffy sailor uniforms and live, if at a sea Org installation, under quasi-military discipline in hostel/barracks conditions often away from home. Or they are posted out to loca; Orgs, where they act with complete arrognace as if they own the whole shebang: which they, the Sea Org, basically do as the personal minions of church leader David Miscavidge.
(c) O.S.A. orders and organises Co$'s evil acts!
 Sea Org people will be sent in to control a number of senior adminstartive functions. But the body which organises all the lies and dirty tricks as called the Office of Special Affairs. Official church SpokesClams you will meet on the Net will almost always be OSA types -- ordinary Scienos are generally told to give critical discussions a wide berth -- fully aware and responsible for the Church's acts. Do not treat every Scieno you meet as if they were a Sea Org member assigned to O.S.A: find out their status, and pitch your reaction accordingly.

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[6<<] Q07: What are Scn's social attitudes to......? [>>8]

(a).........Sex?
 No, Scn does not have sex magick and orgies as part of doctrine :-( . It has a list of ''dynamics'' running from self, family/sex, upwards to the ''higher and more important'' ones which amount to putting the cult first, so sex is regarded as a less important part of life. Though it is an important means of controlling the PreClear--all their sexually activity from first experience onwards is confessed, and recorded! The ideal, as with Xian UnderMentalists, is celibacy for singles and then later faithful marriage, preferably to another believer. The application varies with level of commitment:
(b).........Age and death?
 Scn is not about pitying the weak but about promoting individual survival and that which contributes to the world's survival [i.e. producing results towards the spread of Scientology]. There is also a genuine and practical belief in reincarnation. If someone becomes old and useless, therefore, they know enough to leave quietly---or are thrown out of staff accomodation onto the street if they don't get the hint---to ''go away and get a new body''. At least at the innermost levels, there is a very callous and pragmatic attitude to death e.g. when the founder died it was not months of mourrning but ''Oh, the old man's dead,'' let's go away and get on with life. They have also regularly told people to EOC [suicide] after secret missions, and often been obeyed -- why not, it's just a matter of getting a new body starting again?
(c).........Children?
 This varies very much with level of involvement. Remember that public Scienos (and most junior staff) are ''just folks'' who live their lives much as you or I do. At some times and places in the sea Org, however, this has led to a very uncaring attitude: children are downstat types who don't produce so don't deserve much attention spent on them. Therefore parents have spent few hours with their children, and little money has been spent on food or decoration for the creche. OTOH, children are ''thetans in small bodies'' --- adult spirits who have to find their own way. Therefore, you do not punish or control them, but leave them to discover their identity for themselves. The results of these twin approaches can be seen as 2nd generation Sea Org members.
(d).........Madness?
 Scientology violently opposes all forms of Psychiatry and treatment for mental illness. On the other hand, it cannot help the mentally ill, and will not accept them for auditting. So, it's a bit tough all round, really, for anyone who has a breakdown: Hubbard hinted in his writings that society would be much the better all round if these and other lowlifes were quietly wiped out.
(d).......Racial and sexual minorities?
 Hubbard, and Scientology after him, are both extremely bigoted:

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[7<<] Q08: How does Scn regard drugs, including....... [>>9]

(a)...strongly mind-altering drugs?
Scientology is dead set against anything that alters the mind va the brain that computes it; which is odd, really, since surely the thetan is above all this? Every physical therapies acting on mood is violently opposed, as a competitor to Scn auditing. Also, if you have ever taken LSD, you may be prevented from entering the Sea Org or ever becoming Clear, at least without expensive ''repair'' courses [although there are accounts that Hubbard himself experimented with it].
(b)...other recreational drugs?
Once in Scn you shouldn't really need recreational drugs, but attitudes vary between:
(c)...other medical drugs?
Hubbard's attitude is that ''medics'' are OK for dealing with immediate trauma such as boken bones, then Scn can fix the rest without drugs. If your are on medical drugs, you pause auditting until some time after you have ceased them. Strictly read, this would mean that people either shouldn't be on chronic medication [for athsma, diabetes, heart conditions...] or can't be auditted while they are; which is absurd, and widely ignored.

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[8<<] Q09: How does Scn get and keep recruits? [>>10]

(a) It sweeps up the EMOTIONALLY vulnerable!
 A typical method is to offer a ''free personality test''. This is bound to attract people who are anxious about themselves, it is loaded to show that there IS supposedly something wrong with them and ''Dianetics can fix it.'' Once the person is brought inside, they are showered with flattering attention -- kept to stay in a strange place where others bombard them with what to think -- and presured not to leave until they sign up for courses. As with all religions, however, it does not just prey on the naturally weak, but sets out to subvert confidence and selfidentity; which it can do quite successfully with the the average extroverted person on the street on they walk into the trap.
(b) It uses bait-and-switch tactics!
 The recruiter presents dianetic therapy when the real aim is to get the recruit into the Scn faith. The enormous final costs--if you can afford the full ''bridge'' to enlightenment--are concealed, on the basis of boiling a lobster by heating the water bit by bit, as is the wacky nature of the inner beliefs at the core. It is presented as compatible with Xianity when it is not. But, of course, the sort of emotionally unsure person they target may well be in another faith when recruited.
(c) It conditions you to reject doubt!
 The recruit is taught that his spiritual progress in Scn is everything. If he does not progress it is his fault because of his own ''overts'' [sins] or failure to understand, or because of his contact with ''suppressive'' outsiders making him doubt. Thus he is taught to reject both his own doubts, and anyone who raises doubt in him, as dangerous and painful to him.
(d) You then throw good money after bad!
 As the believer becomes more senior and more cynical, the chief motivation as that they have invested so much of their lifetime, their hopes, and their savings into Scn that the idea it is all wasted on nonsense is a very painful one to accept: having thrown away a life and friends outside, it would be a terrible wrench to lose their cult life and start again from nothing.

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[ 9<<] Q10: What is the size & distribution of the Church? [>>11]

How many.... At what rate... do they ''blow'' from the Crutch? Various estimates have been floated, say 20% have blow in 3 years for mid-level staff, but far fewer at the top where the real fanatics are. Of people newly taking courses, there is a vast wasteage rate after one or two courses, only a minority stay on -- the untold story of most pyramid schemes is that you have to fill the ''ever emptying bathtub'' with a frantic rate of recruitment.
Where.... are they mainly distributed? At least half of them are in the USA, of which the great majority are in the wealthy states Floorida and California. In the UK, they large orgs are on the wealthier south coast, with HQ at Poole in Dorset. The largest european bunch are in Germany. Outside europe, they are mostly in the ''old white commonwealth'' countries: Canada, Australia and South Africa.
How much money... does the Crutch have? About $500M in offshore accounts located in (?)Cyprus. This puts them on the scale of a corporation, say a US-wide chain of hardware stores, but not of multinationals [typically $20,000M up].

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[10<<] Q11: What should I do if...... [>>12]

(a) ....I am thinking of sincerely joining scientology?
 I'd say don't join...but don't just go on my word. My ADVICE, respecting your own free choice and differences from me, is above all don't jump in without thinking. Look at it this way: you're about to make a purchasing choice which may cost as much a fancy new sportscar, a lifestyle choice which may consume as much of your time as moving to a new carreer in a new town. Therefore--as you would in making any other such choice--read up all the pros and cons. Read what the church says for itself, and what critics and ex-members say against it; consider what your new Scn friends in favour, but also what other family and friends and counsellors say against. Try to get as full a picture as possible before committing yourself either way. If anyone is trying to pressure you, stop you thinking, or cut you off from seeing all viewpoints then be very suspicious of them!
(b) ....I am thinking of infiltrating scientology for info?
 DON'T, for the following reasons:--
(i) This is seen by Scn as a VERY hostile act, when you are dealing with a vicious paranoid group who attack anyone threatening them. Typical tactics would be to leave you alone with some tempting papers, then have you arrested for stealing them. Never go up against an organised group of Scienos on your own e.g. solo pickets unless you are an EXCEPTIONALLY tough character and EXCEPTIONALLY well prepared. They are MUCH more likely to use force or dirty tricks, if you are isolated and unprepared.
(ii) Do not think you or anyone else can be automatically resistant to brainwashing. People who get caught are not necessarily just very weak or very stupid--indeed, such people wouldn't make the best recruits, because Scn is complex and targets victims with a good income.
(c) ....I am thinking employment or partnership with Scienos?
 What you do depends on the person's depth of involvement in Scientology, and hence whether you think there will be any attempt to force you into Scientology training or discipline.
(d) ....my friend or relative is considering scientology?
 I would advise the following steps:

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[11<<] Q12: What can *I* do to change things? [>>Index]

(a) Inform yourself about Scientology!
 Read the newsgroup alt.religion.scientology. Also check out the other webpages, the online books , and the print books about Scientology.
(b) Tell other people!
 Promote a.r.s around the Internet through your own WebPages and through contributing elsewhere with an thought-provoking .SIG about scientology. Discuss it in ''real-life'' too with friends and with work colleagues. Don't be a bore by volunteering too much unprompted: hint that you are on the Internet, and that the hoohah with Scn is a major part of it, then keep answering questions as long as others ask them.
(c) Get the message out in other ways!
 There are tee shirts with Xenu's Clam Chowder, badges etc, all ways of rousing curiousity in the subject. There are also demos occasionally held outside Scientology ''orgs''.
(a) Support the various defence funds!
 If you can afford it, please make a donation to anyone who is currently under attack by vexatious Scn lawsuits.

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$cientology SIMPLE F.A.Q: INDEX. [Top<<<<]

Q01: Where does $cientology come from? --- Q02: Why are people getting riled up about it? --- Q03: What is Dianetics about? --- Q04: What are the inner levels of Scientology about?--- Q05: Does Scientology believe in God, or in Christ? --- Q06: Are there different levels of involvement in Scn?--- Q07: What are Scn's social attitudes to...--- Q08: How does Scn regard drugs, including...--- Q09: How does Scn get and keep recruits?--- Q10: What is the size & distribution of the Church? --- Q11: What should I do if....--- Q12: What can *I* do to change things?--- 

[FAQs]
From: David Gerard  <fun@suburbia.net> 
Subject: a.r.s opinionated micro-FAQ v0.02

========================================================================

a.r.s. opinionated micro-FAQ version 0.02 for the confused lurker


0. If you want detail, it's all on Web pages; ours are all accessible from my links page  
or from http://www.cybercom.net/~rnewman/scientology/home.html,
and theirs are all accessible from http://www.scientology.org/ . 
Dive in and RTFM.

1. Read ''The Road to Xenu'' by Margery Wakefield, 
at  http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Fishman/Xenu/ in America,
or at  http://www.demon.co.uk/castle/xenu/xenu.html in Europe.

2. Yes, it is a cult.

3. No, even though they stare like that they probably won't hurt you.

4. Yes, there are even ex-scientologists who still believe that Hubbard's 
tech works -- 'free zoners'. http:www.freezone.org.

5. Yes, the e-meter is basically a "lie" detector.

6. No, we don't work for the Cult Awareness Network. We like them though.

7. Yes, many off-topic posts are here because of juvenile crossposting
trolls. Yes, we want to kill them too. Killfile and/or politely complain.

8. No, I can't tell you how much to trust what Fishman and Dennis say. 
Read them and the CoS replies and decide.

9. No, you aren't supposed to understand Koos. He was too crazy even for 
the CoS. Amusement or killfile.

10. Yes, many different $cientologist posters use the same accounts, 
probably in violation of the agreements they have with their ISP.

11. Yes,  Andrew Milne and Cory Brennan are lying sack of shit PR-robots 
and/or totally deluded. We're not sure which.

12. Yes, they will threated to sue you for posting Fair Use extracts of
their sEkRiT sKrIpToOrS. No, they haven't managed to make it stick.

13. Yes, henry is like that all the time around here.  Enjoy it.

14. No, there is no organized conspiracy to bring the "Church" to its
knees. If we were organized we'd have already done it and would be working 
on the people who enacted the CDA.

15. Yes, ''Vera'' is like that all the time.  Just killfire ''her'', 
as it does get old really fast.

16. Yes, a $cientologist who makes sense, rationally argues their view, 
refrains from constant, personal attacks does show up now and then. But 
they either blow the cult, get thrown into RPF indefinitely, or disappear 
until the next all-hands-on-a.r.s alert.

17. No, randomly answering personality tests won't confuse them any more 
than they are already confused.

18. Yes, all the stuff about Xemu and volcanoes and  clams is true. Bwahaha!

19. No, Scientology doesn't really matter very much at all; it's small and 
getting smaller. It's who tries this *next* that we have to worry about.

this microFAQ by David Gerard  <fun@suburbia.net> 


========================================================================



[CLAM]   
  ----For the most Frequently Asked Question of all,
          "Why CLAMS?", 
      now see  Bill Barwell's CLAM F.A.Q.


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