Deven
Wendigo
I'm going to make this thread because I've been wanting to for awhile. If it gets closed, oh well.
I want to know other people's opinions on Scientology. Or maybe some experience, because they can get aggressive in their recruiting efforts.
Now, before someone says this isn't really controversial, Scientology does/says a lot of controversial things. I will list some of the things I've come across after the incident happened with them trying to recruit me.
Operation Snow White: Scientology infiltrated 136 government offices, embassies, and consulates in an attempt to purge anything bad written about Scientology from them. There were 11 highly placed Church executives, including L.Ron Hubbard's wife, Mary Sue Hubbard. After being caught, and lots of attempts at stalling, they all got time in prison and a fine.
Operation Freakout: It was a plan against one woman, US Author and Journalist Paulette Cooper, because she was seen as a threat because she wrote a book titled "The Scandal of Scientology." Their goal was to get her committed to an institution or imprisoned. They eventually had to pay Cooper from an out-of-court settlement
The Sea Org: The sea org is where people sign a billion year contract, and are forced into slave labor (especially for things for one Mr. Tom Cruise.) Whole families sign on, even the children [who cannot legally be held to that contract, but are.] Often times, parents can be "disconnected" (which essentially means shunned from the church) and the kids are kept. Since it's kept in international waters, it can be hard for disconnected parents to retrieve their children. A daughter of the President of Scientology in Australia spoke out about her time in the "Cadet Org."
There's also the case of Lisa McPherson. The Church was indicted on two felony charges of negligent homicide, but the coroner later changed the cause of death to "accident." There was still a civil suit, in which Scientology settled. Lisa had a minor car accident, and the EMTs said she was fine. Shortly after, she stripped naked in the street. She was taken the hospital's mental facility, and shortly after, Scientologists came to get her, as psychiatric treatment isn't allowed in the church. They kept her in isolation, which they call introspective rundown. She died of a blood clot, but she was dehydrated, malnourished, and covered in cockroach bites. This happened at the Fort Harrison Hotel, which has been the scene for at least one other suspicious death.
Why I got interested in Scientology:
I was 18 when my friends and I filled out their "fun, free" personality test. My friends, not telling me, placed fake names and numbers in the questionnaire. I didn't. Within a few days of taking the test, they were calling me 3-4 times a day, even after being asked politely to stop. A week or so passed, and I was at the cosmetology school I went to, when someone with a van drove up. They asked for me, and asked me if I wanted to go down to the Scientology Center in Philadelphia with them. The problem was: I didn't tell them I went to Cosmetology school. I started freaking out, and when I told them no and ran to the back to hide, they requested me as a stylist. It was the only time I refused a client, and if you refuse a client, you would get sent home for the day. The calls continued after that, until my mom came back home (long story,) and answered, telling them: "I don't know how many times she has to tell you she isn't interested, but I'm sure we won't have to tell you again." They didn't call again.
I want to know other people's opinions on Scientology. Or maybe some experience, because they can get aggressive in their recruiting efforts.
Now, before someone says this isn't really controversial, Scientology does/says a lot of controversial things. I will list some of the things I've come across after the incident happened with them trying to recruit me.
Operation Snow White: Scientology infiltrated 136 government offices, embassies, and consulates in an attempt to purge anything bad written about Scientology from them. There were 11 highly placed Church executives, including L.Ron Hubbard's wife, Mary Sue Hubbard. After being caught, and lots of attempts at stalling, they all got time in prison and a fine.
Operation Freakout: It was a plan against one woman, US Author and Journalist Paulette Cooper, because she was seen as a threat because she wrote a book titled "The Scandal of Scientology." Their goal was to get her committed to an institution or imprisoned. They eventually had to pay Cooper from an out-of-court settlement
The Sea Org: The sea org is where people sign a billion year contract, and are forced into slave labor (especially for things for one Mr. Tom Cruise.) Whole families sign on, even the children [who cannot legally be held to that contract, but are.] Often times, parents can be "disconnected" (which essentially means shunned from the church) and the kids are kept. Since it's kept in international waters, it can be hard for disconnected parents to retrieve their children. A daughter of the President of Scientology in Australia spoke out about her time in the "Cadet Org."
There's also the case of Lisa McPherson. The Church was indicted on two felony charges of negligent homicide, but the coroner later changed the cause of death to "accident." There was still a civil suit, in which Scientology settled. Lisa had a minor car accident, and the EMTs said she was fine. Shortly after, she stripped naked in the street. She was taken the hospital's mental facility, and shortly after, Scientologists came to get her, as psychiatric treatment isn't allowed in the church. They kept her in isolation, which they call introspective rundown. She died of a blood clot, but she was dehydrated, malnourished, and covered in cockroach bites. This happened at the Fort Harrison Hotel, which has been the scene for at least one other suspicious death.
Why I got interested in Scientology:
I was 18 when my friends and I filled out their "fun, free" personality test. My friends, not telling me, placed fake names and numbers in the questionnaire. I didn't. Within a few days of taking the test, they were calling me 3-4 times a day, even after being asked politely to stop. A week or so passed, and I was at the cosmetology school I went to, when someone with a van drove up. They asked for me, and asked me if I wanted to go down to the Scientology Center in Philadelphia with them. The problem was: I didn't tell them I went to Cosmetology school. I started freaking out, and when I told them no and ran to the back to hide, they requested me as a stylist. It was the only time I refused a client, and if you refuse a client, you would get sent home for the day. The calls continued after that, until my mom came back home (long story,) and answered, telling them: "I don't know how many times she has to tell you she isn't interested, but I'm sure we won't have to tell you again." They didn't call again.
