In 1979 and 1980, I worked at the Church of Scientology, Mission of Orange County in Tustin. I worked in Treasury. My primary role was Director of Income, which isn’t as interesting as it sounds. I left because, frankly, I was going broke quickly. I felt bad about leaving and returned in January 1984 on […]
Twenty Years Ago Today: Scientology vs. the Internet
Twenty years ago today, the battle of Scientology vs. the Internet leveled up with the anonymous posting of secret Scientology scriptures to the newsgroup alt.religion.scientology. Here’s what the Wikipedia page says: On December 24, 1994, the first of a large number of anonymous messages was posted to alt.religion.scientology, containing the text of the “secret” writings […]
James Blish: “Dianetics: A Door to the Future”
Long-time Scientology critic Rod Keller posted a link to an eBay auction that included a reading copy of a science fiction magazine (Planet Stories, November 1950) in which James Blish published a piece on Dianetics. I’d already known that James Blish had been a Fortean, so I was expecting that Blish’s piece would be pro-Dianetics. […]
Happy Halloween! With Treats!
Happy Halloween! As a kid, my favorite holiday. Still my favorite. Last Day on Cat Grant’s GoFundMe to Get Her Ellora’s Cave Rights Back I had the awesome privilege of meeting Cat Grant in person last weekend when I was in her area. We talked for several hours! She’s trying to buy the rights back […]
Some Thoughts on the Missing Stair Analogy
I’ve been thinking a lot about the missing stair analogy of late. For those who don’t know it, it’s the concept that people learn how to warn other group members of a specific member’s vile behavior. After a while, because “everyone knows,” they become like a missing stair everyone knows to step over. Except everyone’s […]
When Jon Atack Wrote an Anti-Scientology Book
From a paper he gave in 1995: At the end of 1992, scientologists started to arrive uninvited on my doorstep. They always came in pairs, a new pair each time. The visits happened about once a week, but not on the same night. The timing of the visits varied, with the latest being after 11 […]
Kate Bornstein Needs Your Help
Note: Fixed link, which was broken initially. Oops! I don’t know how many of you know who Kate is. I’ve known of her for quite a few years, but it was only a couple of years ago that I realized she was also an ex-Scn. Here’s a long piece in the Village Voice written when […]
Travel Channel Scientology Video
Pretty good introduction to some of the big issues from a non-Scientologist’s perspective. Interesting that they cover Operation Snow White but don’t mention that Hubbard’s wife served time for that.
Another Ex-Scientologist Speaks Out
Most of the time when people talk about their time in Scientology, they’ve been out for a few years. Until then, most people just are too shell-shocked trying to process their experiences and what they mean. Recently, Jillian Schlesinger came out of the Sea Org. I missed this particular article and only watched her video, […]
Scientology: Marriage Hats
Marriage Hats was a thin booklet written by L. Ron Hubbard’s last wife, Mary Sue Hubbard. It was published in 1974 by Scientology, a white volume with black uncial type on the cover. Later, they’d pull all Scientology-related books that weren’t written by LRH, and this would be one of items pulled. This was published […]